


Like A Light (I'm Luring You)

by Brandon_McAuley



Series: The Misadventures of Detective Asshole & His Android [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Crime Fighting, Enemies to Lovers, Gavin Reed Redemption, I call RK900 Richard, M/M, Pining, Porn with Feelings, Red Ice Trafficking, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:20:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brandon_McAuley/pseuds/Brandon_McAuley
Summary: Detective Gavin Reed is assigned to solve a simple red ice trafficking case, but quickly discovers that it's part of something much more sinister. Navigating through a sea of murder, violence and drugs, Reed must also learn to work with a new partner: an android that claims to be faster, stronger, and more resilient.





	1. There's Fucking Two of Them

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Lana Del Rey's "Serial Killer."

Gavin arrived at the station around 9:15AM. Much to his surprise, Hank and his stupid bucket of bolts were already busy at their desks, going through several files of fresh cases that they had been assigned. Connor happened to lock eyes with Gavin, and the android had the nerve to smile and give a quick wave. Gavin rolled his eyes and sat down at his desk, ignoring the gesture.

"Ignore him," he overheard Hank say to Connor in a quiet voice. "He's going to have a rough day."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Connor, in an equally hushed voice.

Tuning out their comments, Gavin quickly logged in and checked his email. He was waiting for a response from the forensics team that was helping him with a break down of a sample of red ice that he had found at a crime scene earlier that week. It had been cut with something, but obviously he had no idea as to what. If he could figure out what the second component of it was, Gavin figured that this could help him pinpoint where the red ice was being produced. If all things turned out as planned, maybe the case would result in the arrest of a few high-level distributors.

_(1) New Email!_

Gavin clicked on the notification and saw that it had been sent from Fowler. He gave it a quick scan.

_See me in my office ASAP._

Gavin let out a sigh. It was too fucking early for this shit. As a force of habit, Gavin locked his computer screen and trudged off towards Fowler's office. A part of him really liked the office's design, walls created by massive windows. It was supposed to be symbolic, or some shit like that, speaking to the level of transparency that Fowler expected to see within the Detroit Police Department. It was no secret that Gavin wanted to see himself sitting in that office one day.

He knocked on the glass window to grab Fowler's attention, who promptly waved him in without looking up from the stack of papers that were sitting on his desk.

"Reed," greeted Fowler. "Any news about that red ice case you've been working?"

"Not yet," he answered. "I'll probably give them a call a little later in the day to see what's taking them so long."

"I'm getting a lot of pressure from the mayor," said Fowler flatly. "After the whole android debacle, the upper-ups want to make sure that Detroit transitions as smoothly as possible. What do you think you'll need in terms of resources to wrap this case up?"

Gavin shrugged a shoulder. "I don't need anything. I'll solve it by the end of the week."

This response made Fowler look up. His eyes gave away his years of experience on the force, which was just a polite way of saying that he was tired as all hell.

"I'm not fucking around here, Reed. What do you need?"

"I'm serious, Captain. I've got this in the bag."

Gavin could sense where this conversation was going. He had a terrible, terrible feeling welling up in his gut.

"I'm assigning you a partner," stated Fowler.

"I don't need a partner."

"This isn't up for debate, Detective." Fowler waved his hand at something outside of the office, beckoning for their entrance. The office door swung open on its hinges, and an android stepped through.

Gavin blanched. It was Connor. Except it wasn't. It had on it's CyberLife-issued white and black uniform. On the front of its jacket, it read: RK900. Gavin's gaze jumped from the new model to the older version just outside. They were fucking twins, albeit this one was taller and had the look of an android straight out of its packaging.

"What the fuck," spat Gavin, shooting Fowler what must have been an absolutely quizzical look.

"Hello, Detective Reed. My name is Richard. I'm the new RK900 model sent by CyberLife."

"You want me to work with a dickhead who's literally named Dick? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Watch you mouth," snapped Fowler.

"I don't need a partner," he hissed through gritted teeth. "And even if I did, I wouldn't be caught dead working with one of these plastic pieces of shit."

"Detective Reed," said the RK900 calmly, "I can assure you that I am faster, stronger and more resilient than my predecessor. I can prove to be a very helpful tool in the field."

"You got the tool part right," muttered Reed under his breath as he started towards the door of Fowler's office.

" _Bitch_."

Reed blinked. Was he imagining things? There was absolutely no way that this hunk of plastic just called him a bitch.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

"I called you a bitch, Detective Reed. Do I need to schedule you an appointment to get your ears checked?"

Gavin could feel his face turning red, mouth agape at the android's audacity. Before he could even think about what he was doing, Gavin snatched the android by the collar. The RK900 was taller than him, which was something that he was definitely not expecting. The android looked at him with cold, unwavering grey eyes. Its LED didn't blink once, remaining a steady cool blue. There was something about the way this machine watched him that made his stomach tie up in knots. No, it wasn't watching him.

It was  _studying_ him.

"I didn't know CyberLife knew how to program androids with attitude."

"Reed, that's enough!" exclaimed Fowler. "You've been given more than enough time to wrap up this case. I want it solved by Friday. Use the android, don't use the android. Just get the job done and get the fuck out of my office."

With a huff, Gavin let go of the android and stomped out of the office. The android blinked, patting down the creases that had been left in his uniform. With a curt nod in Fowler's general direction, it turned on its heels and followed Gavin out.

"I'm too fucking old for this shit," sighed Fowler as he returned to his paperwork.

 Gavin slumped down in his office chair, turning away when the android approached his work station. He logged in to his computer.

"Fuck off," he snapped. "I don't need your help."

"Captain Fowler seems to think otherwise, Detective Reed."

Gavin stood up, face mere inches away from the android's. His expression couldn't be more obviously infuriated.

"Listen, fuckwad," he snapped. He poked his finger at the RK900's chest so hard that it actually hurt him. "Stay the fuck out of my way or I'll turn you into a heap of spare parts for that asshole over there."

Connor glanced over at the disturbance, but Hank quickly told him to ignore it.

"Richard," said the android. "My name is Richard."

"Your name could be fucking Suzy-Lou and I still wouldn't give a shit."

A desktop alert popped up in the corner of his screen.

_(1) New Email!_

Gavin shoved Richard away, turning his attention to the new message. It was from the forensics team.

"It appears that they want us to come down the lab for a full debriefing," stated Richard, his LED blinking yellow.

"Did you fucking hack into my email?"

"I thought that it would be best if I had access to your server for the purpose of efficiency."

"Unbelievable!" snapped Gavin, gritting his teeth. "Stay the fuck out of my shit, asshole."

"Richard," corrected the android with a polite smile.

"Fuck you," said Gavin while flipping the android off. He stood up from his chair, locked his computer and snatched up his jacket. The android began to follow Gavin towards the station exit. "Stay right fucking here. Don't follow me," ordered Gavin. The android simply smiled.

"I have been assigned this case as your secondary, Detective Reed. I'm afraid that I must insist on accompanying you."

"I told you he was going to have a rough day," chuckled Hank quite audibly as the newly partnered duo made their way towards the door.

"Un- _fucking_ -believable," was all Gavin could manage.


	2. Dead to Rights

It would have been an understatement to say that Gavin was in a very, very bad mood when they arrived at the lab.

"Stupid fucking Fowler. Stupid fucking android."

"Stupid fucking android with fully functioning auditory sensors," chimed Richard. The android stood beside the detective, hands folded behind his back.

" _Stupid_. _Fucking_. _Android_." Gavin felt like such a child, arms crossed against his chest, foot tapping impatiently for the lab technician to return with his report. "Don't know why they couldn't just email me the results. Could've saved the trip."

They had been waiting a good five minutes already, which honestly wasn't what was bothering Gavin the most. Having the android so close to him was making him restless. Paranoid, even. He knew that android's didn't actually have to breathe, but the steady rhythm of inhales and exhales made Gavin ever-aware of the android's presence.

Another few minutes passed, forcing Gavin to let out an exasperated sigh. "The fuck is taking him so long?" he gritted through his teeth.

In the corner of his eye, he saw the RK900 frown, LED blink yellow. It had noticed something.

"What?" he snapped at it.

"Stay here," it ordered, tone incredibly serious.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do. Where the fuck do you get off-"

The RK900 slapped its hand over Gavin's mouth, stifling his words. It took him by surprise just how warm the android actually felt. He had always expected the to be colder, frigid. Lifeless.

"Be quiet," it ordered with a stern expression. "Something's wrong."

Gavin drew his weapon instinctively, watching as the android moved forward towards the lab technician's office. It stopped dead in its tracks when it laid its eyes on the room. Gavin followed closely, peering around the corner. His eyes widened when his brain finally registered the carnage.

"Jesus Christ," he managed to gasp.

The lab technician was dead, lying face-down in a pool of his own blood. There were obvious signs of a struggle: papers had been scattered, chairs over turned, grooves and scratches left in the drywall. Gavin rushed over and knelt down over the man, trying desperately to find a pulse, some sign that everything was going to be okay.

Nothing.

Gavin turned to the android, "Call it in."

The RK900 nodded, LED turning yellow as it contacted the police station.

"This is Detective Gavin Reed's android, badge number 40292 at the Detroit Forensics Lab on 5th and Purdue Avenue. We have a 10-39. Man down, suspect at large."

 _Detective Gavin Reed's android_.

Gavin noticed that there was some sort of paper crumpled in the palm of the dead man's hand. He reached down, taking the paper ball and gently unfolding it. A series of numbers had been written on its surface in smudged blue ink. He had no clue what these numbers were supposed to mean. Was it junk? Probably not. But now was definitely not the time to ask these sort of questions. The sudden sound of glass breaking in the next room alerted them that they weren't alone.

The suspect was still here.

Gavin was about to signal orders to the android, but the RK900 was already on the move, having moved towards the door frame with frighteningly little sound.

There wasn't time to scold the machine. A man jumped out from the other room, knife in hand, wildly swinging.

The android moved out of the way, like it was able to tell exactly when and where the man would try and attack. With a perfectly time thrust of its palm, the RK900 smashed its hand into the man's windpipe. Gavin watched in stunned awe as the suspect folded over, wheezing.

"What the fuck," was all Gavin managed to say as he moved forward to cuff the man. Gavin kicked the knife away, watching it slide underneath a lab table. "How'd you do that?"

"My analysis programming allows me to pre-construct scenarios. I was simply reacting to the most likely outcomes." The android said this with a smile, like it was something to be proud of. There was a glimmer of pride in its grey eyes. Was that even possible? Could androids feel proud?

"Science-y mumbo jumbo, got it."

"You're making a mistake," the suspect managed to say. Tears had welled up in his eyes as a result of the impact. "They're going to kill you."

"Shut the fuck up. You have the right to remain silent, and all that shit," snapped Gavin.

"Detective, I do believe you have to read him his Miranda rights in full or else-"

"I said shut the fuck up."

 _This is the longest fucking day in my life_ , thought Gavin bitterly.  _Longest. Fucking. Day._

* * *

 

They learn that his name is Albert. He's 5'6", weighs 192 pounds, has light brown hair and green eyes. He has several easily-identifiable tattoos on both of his arms, all of which have heavy anti-android motifs. With this information, Richard was able to pull up the suspects profile against one that matched perfectly in the DPD database.

"His last arrest was about a year ago, before the android revolution," explained the RK900 to Gavin. They were on the other side of the one-way mirror, observing the suspect in the interrogation room. He had been handcuffed to the metal table, and his discomfort was very apparent. Gavin remained silent, listening to the android's debriefing. It was a hell of a lot easier to listen to this hunk of plastic than go through all the paperwork himself. Useful.

"He served time for possession and distribution of red ice back in 2037. Since it was his first-time offense, he was sentenced to a hundred and sixty hours of community service."

"How the fuck did he pull that off?"

"From what I can tell, his mother has quite a bit of pull with the local government."

Gavin snorted.

"Mama's boy," the two of them said at the exact same time.

Gavin blinked. That was weird.

"Alright, Dick," said Gavin hurriedly. "Let's go interrogate the asshole. See what he knows."

"Richard," corrected the android, raising a finger.

"What the fuck ever."

He could have sworn that he heard the android sigh.

A deep purple bruise was beginning to form around the base of Albert's neck, where the RK900 had expertly incapacitated him. His eyes were red, but because he was crying. Gavin could recognize the symptoms almost immediately. Fidgety, red and swollen eyes, uncontrollable sniffing. Red ice.

Gavin sat down in the metal chair across from Albert. Everything in the room had been bolted down. The RK900 kept its distance, leaning against the wall behind Gavin. It made the detective slightly uncomfortable, aware of the cold pair of eyes that were trained on him. It sent a chill down his spine.

 _Studying_.

"Tell me why I'm here," started Gavin with a frown. He had placed a folder on the table. He tapped it with his forefinger.

"I ain't telling you shit, pig."

_Oh, this was going to be fun._

Gavin opened the folder to reveal several pictures of the victim and the crime scene. He selected the photo on the top of the pile and turned it so that Albert had a good, clear view.

"Did you know him?" asked Gavin.

When Albert refused to look, Gavin continued.

"Because I did. And so did almost every police officer here. His name was Tony Choi. He had a wife, three kids, and one more on the way. And you killed him."

Albert remained silent, save for his incessant sniffling.

"We don't take kindly to people who attack our own," stated Gavin. His words were cold, sharp. Dripping with disgust.

Gavin could hear the RK900 shift from his spot against the wall and make his way over to Albert's side. He avoided eye contact with the suspect, making himself comfortable on the other wall. Gavin almost smirked. If the android made him uncomfortable, this red ice junky with anti-android sentiments would no doubt start to squirm with an android breathing down its neck. It didn't take long for Albert to start shifting uneasily in his seat, throwing glances at the android behind him.

"What model are you?" asked Albert. His voice of was tense. Unconsciously, he began tracing the outline of one of his tattoos. It was the symbol to a well-known anti-android hate group, Superior.

Without missing a beat, Richard smiled. "It says on my jacket, dumbass."

Gavin almost let out a laugh. Almost.

"Man, fuck you," sniveled the suspect. "Fuck you and your whole kind." Albert looked up and glared at Gavin. "Do you like working with these things? They're going to replace all of us one day."

A part of Gavin wanted to agree with him. No, he didn't like working with androids. They were too perfect, too mechanic. When it came to police work, you had to be flexible. A machine could never do his job as well as him. They were unfeeling, cold. They were just lines of code, incapable of making moral decisions. When it came down to it, a machine wouldn't be able to make a snap decision based on what was right or wrong. They would base it off of calculations, probabilities. He would hate to see the day that androids took over the police force.

"We're asking the questions here," was Gavin's cool answer. He returned the conversation to the case at hand. "Look, you'll be going away for manslaughter. Tell us what we want to know."

"Nah, man," chuckled Albert. "There's no way anything's going to stick."

"Because your mommy's looking out for you?" inquired the RK900, an eyebrow raised, voice condescending.

"Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit!"

"We have you dead to rights," continued the android. Gavin watched as Albert's composure slowly unraveled. Being high on red ice looked like a real pain in the ass.

"Fuck you!" screamed Albert.

"You were found at the crime scene with the murder weapon. Building surveillance puts you at the location at the time of murder. You attempted to attack a police officer. You were found to be intoxicated at the scene of the crime." The RK900 just kept pushing Albert's button, laying down the truth one sentence at a time.

Cold, hard. Perfect.

"It doesn't look good for you," said Gavin. "Just tell us what we need to know, and maybe we can help you."  _Maybe_.

Albert began to sob, disgusting tears streaking his cheeks and snot dripping from his nose.

"They'll kill me if I snitch," he gasped between ugly cries.

"Who will?" Gavin pressed.

" _Superior_."

Gavin glanced up at the android, whose LED was already blinking yellow as it searched for information.

"They'll kill me, and then they'll kill you," continued Albert. "Trevor Road and Brooklyn Avenue, apartment forty-seven."

Gavin frowned. He could feel his composition slip. Richard noticed.

"How?" demanded the detective. He slammed his hands on table. "How do you know where I live?" The rage was welling up inside of him, threatening to make his head burst.

The android walked over quickly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This is over," Richard said. "Let's go."

"How the fuck do you know where I live, you little shit?" Gavin smacked the android's hand away, leaning forward, grasping onto the edges of the table for stability.

" _Detective_ ," stressed the android. "That's enough."

The android started to drag Gavin out the door. Gavin kept yelling.

"You fucker. Answer me!"

"They're going to kill you," was the last thing Albert said as the sliding doors closed, cutting off Gavin's line of sight.

" _Fuck_ _!_ " exclaimed Gavin, his hands balled into a fist. He wanted to punch something so badly. He wanted to kick something into submission. He was just so  _furious_.

"Detective Reed," said Richard calmly. "Calm down."

" _Calm down?_ " repeated Gavin. "Are you fucking kidding me? How can you expect me to be calm?"

"We should report our findings to Captain Fowler."

 It was only then that he noticed the android still had a steady hand around his arm. He shoved at the android's chest, forcing it to take a step back. Its LED blinked red before returning to blue.

"Don't  _fucking_  touch me," hissed the man as he stomped off. " _Fuck_."

Richard watched as the detective left, cool grey eyes looking just a tiny bit disappointed.


	3. The Juxtaposition of Tin Cans

"I'm having the lieutenant and Connor pair up with you on the case," explained Fowler grimly. "You're going to need all the help you can get."

Gavin wasn't really paying attention to the one-sided conversation. All he could really hear was his enraged, loud heartbeat drumming in his chest and an annoying ringing tone in his left ear. His fists were clenched so hard that his knuckles were turning white. Connor and the RK900 were standing off to one side, quietly analyzing the conversation. Hank was speaking in low tones to the captain, but it was nothing really audible to Gavin. His mind was still spinning.

 _Those fuckers know where I live_   _._

"Reed!" snapped Fowler. Gavin glanced up from the spot on the floor that he was seemingly trying to burn a hole into. "Are you paying attention?"

"Like I said,  _captain_ ," his words were tainted with disdain. "This is my case. I can handle it."

"I would have agreed with you had a man not just been murdered," stated Fowler. He was rubbing his temples with his fingers. This case was turning out to be a bigger headache than he thought. "Let me be clear, they're not taking over your case. They're just acting as support. If there really is a link between this red ice ring and Superior, you'll need all the resources you can get to put them away."

"This is fucking ridiculous."

"I'm not exactly thrilled about it either, Reed," snapped Hank. "But the captain's right. Let's just get it over with."

"I don't need another fucking babysitter."

Richard was watching the detective with his cool eyes. "I'm not your babysitter," the android said flatly. "I'm your partner."

"You ain't shit," retorted Gavin.

Gavin watched as Connor and Richard made eye contact, both of their LEDs turning yellow.They were talking to one another. A small part of Gavin was curious to know what they were saying.

 _Fucking machines_.

"End of discussion. The lieutenant and Connor will assist you with this case. I've got city hall breathing down my neck and a dead lab technician on my hands. Swallow your fucking pride and get the job done, Reed. Richard will accompany you until we've determined that Superior is no longer a threat to your safety. Dismissed."

Gavin clenched his jaw so hard that he could have sworn he heard something in his skull pop. He turned swiftly on his heel, too upset to protest any further. He made a sad attempt at slamming Fowler's office door, but the hinges prevented him from swinging the door shut with full force. Gavin marched over to his desk and sat down at the computer, face twisted with obvious anger.

He could hear the gentle footsteps of the RK900 approach from behind, but Gavin didn't look up as the android sat down at the empty desk across from him. Gavin could tell that it was watching him. Maybe even judging him?

"Where should we begin?" Richard asked, ever the professional.

Gavin didn't answer. He was just too pissed to speak, and he didn't trust himself to say anything productive in his current state. He simply began typing at his computer terminal, pulling up any and all information that he thought could be helpful to the case.

Upon arriving at the station, Gavin had filed the crumbled piece of paper that he had found in Choi's hand as evidence. It had already been smoothed out and scanned to the case's digital file for safekeeping. He still wasn't sure what to make of the numbers. Were they a list of locations? Coordinates? Passwords? There really was no way to tell. It could very well have been nothing at all, just a scrap of paper that Choi happened to have on hand when he was murdered.

Gavin conducted a thorough search of the DPD database, pulling cases that had references to Superior. There were several hefty files on the group, primarily citing assault cases against androids, especially after the android revolution last year. There were even news clippings that came along with the reports, discussing in detail the group's last known demonstrations and even a few interviews with ex-members. While Gavin familiarized himself with the group, he noted that there weren't really any mentions of any group leaders. Surely a hate group of this size had to have had some sort of structure, some sort of organizational system.

What was the connection? What was the connection between red ice, Superior and Choi's murder? Why would Superior go to such great lengths over a red ice case? Was it all a coincidence? No. Gavin had been a detective too long to know that coincidences weren't a thing. There had to be some sort of link, an explanation

Gavin glanced up briefly, noting that the RK900 was also conducting its own research. It had stopped for a moment, glancing over to its left at Hank and Connor. The pair was discussing the details of the case, catching up with the file that Gavin had reluctantly emailed over upon Fowler's direct orders.

Hank laughed. Connor must have said something funny. Connor was sitting on Hank's desk, comfortably casual. Hank was smiling. He had been annoyingly happy and productive ever since his android had decided to stay with the homicide unit. Androids now had the right to whatever occupation that they so chose. It wasn't exactly a secret that Hank and his android were close. The rumor floating around the break room was that Connor had moved in with the lieutenant after the revolution. He had no place to go, apparently.

Richard was watching them intently as they spoke to one another, watching their interactions. Were Gavin's eyes deceiving him or did the android look... Well,  _sad_.

"Dickhead," he snapped at the RK900.

"Yes, bitchface?" it responded with a smile. 

"I'm going to fucking deck you."

"I'd like to see you try."

It took every ounce of strength for Gavin to remain in his seat.

_I am faster, stronger and more resilient than my predecessor._

Gavin briefly recalled the one time he stupidly decided to challenge Connor in the evidence room. He woke up with a concussion and a whole lot of humiliation. He decided against continuing to challenge the android.

"Fucking focus, would you?" he looked away, turning his attention back to his screen. "I not going to fucking carry the whole team by myself."

Richard returned his attention to the terminal screen, but he didn't appear to be working. The android glanced over at Gavin.

"My I ask you a personal question, detective?" it asked.

"Fucking what?" said Gavin, rolling his eyes.

"How did you get that scar?" asked Richard, pointing at the bridge of his own nose.

Gavin could feel his cheeks begin to burn slightly. He wondered if his embarrassment was obvious.

"Bar fight," he lied dryly.

Richard nodded, clearly satisfied with the answer. It wasn't too hard to imagine Gavin mouthing off at a bar and inciting a fight.

"So, what's your deal?" asked Gavin.

"My deal?"

"Yeah."

"I don't understand the question."

 _Fucking androids_.

"Do you feel weird about being around him?" Gavin jerked his thumb over in Connor's general direction. "I know I'd be weirded out if I had to work with my own clone."

"Actually, Connor was the one who brought me here in the first place."

Gavin frowned.  _They're fucking spreading_.

"Oh?"

"I was one of the androids that he freed at the CyberLife warehouse last year."

"He woke you up, did he?"

"In a manner of speaking, that's correct."

"Hm."

"But to answer your question, no. It doesn't "weird me out," as it were."

"Did they just run out of faces or something? CyberLife engineers not creative enough to come up with a different face?"

"Is that why you seem so uncomfortable around me?" asked Richard, genuinely curious. "Around us?"

Gavin blinked. "Nah, I'm just not that fond of androids."

"Why is that?"

Gavin frowned. "You ask a lot of fucking questions, tin can."

"I'm an investigative android. It's my job to ask questions, meat sack."

Gavin rolled his eyes again, "Whatever."

That was when his cellphone started to ring in his pocket. He answered promptly, "This is Reed."

Richard scanned Gavin's face, making note of the shifting micro-expressions. Richard actually appreciated that he had come fully equipped to sense them. Micro-expressions in humans were, after all, incredibly hard to fake.

Gavin's face blanched. Hank had noticed from across the room.

"What's up?" the lieutenant called from his desk.

"It's the fire department," answered Gavin. "My apartment's been torched."

* * *

 

By the time they arrive at the apartment complex, everything was a smoldering mess. The block had been sealed off, massive firetrucks blocking the roads as firemen continued to work and smother any remaining flames. Hank and Connor began asking around, trying to learn what they could. The fire had originated in apartment number forty-seven and quickly spread to nearby floors. Several occupants had suffered severe smoke inhalation, but apart from that, the building had been successfully evacuated.

"Fire started about half an hour ago," stated Connor. "They suspect an accelerant was used."

"Turpentine," determined Richard. Gavin and Hank gave off the same confused look. "I can sense traces in the surrounding air. I suggest we move any humans in the area elsewhere."

"Agreed," nodded Connor. "Toxic fumes," he explained to Hank.

"It's like a fucking stereo," sighed Hank. "Alright, I'll let the fire department know to keep the area closed off for the time being."

Gavin looked up at the building. His corner apartment was a soaking mess. Whatever evidence there may have been was now water-logged. He took a step forward, moving past the busy rush of bodies.

"Where are you going?" asked Richard. But Gavin didn't respond. The pit of his stomach was hot with rage. To be honest, it was exhausting, being angry all the time. Richard placed a hand on his shoulder, but Gavin swatted him away.

"What the fuck did I say about touching me?" the detective snapped.

Richard pursed his lips. Gavin turned again and moved towards the building entrance.

"It's not safe to proceed, Detective Reed. The building is structurally unsound."

Gavin didn't process any of the words that came out of the android's mouth and continued on his way. He had to see for himself. He flashed his badge at the few firemen androids that were guarding the door, who hesitantly allowed Gavin through.

"Fucking humans," he thought he heard Richard sigh.

Gavin reached the forth floor, the damage distressingly obvious. The walls of the hallway were charred black, the air still thick with smoke. He knew that he shouldn't be here, but his body wouldn't stop. The carpeted floor of the hallway was soaked with water, making squishing sounds under the weight of his footsteps. He heard the wet footsteps of the RK900 following closely behind him.

"Stop fucking following me," he commanded, waving his hands in front of his face to try and clear the air.

"Captain Fowler instructed me to stay close. For your protection. I really must insist that we leave. It's not safe."

Gavin reached the end of the hall. There wasn't even a door left. From where he stood, he could see the sizzling frames of what used to be furniture. He took a careful step past the door frame. A giant hole had been burnt into the floor, allowing for a fantastic view of the ruined apartment below his own. He managed to make it to what was once his bedroom.

" _Gavin_ ," called Richard. "Please. We should go."

"Fuck off," he hissed. But it didn't sound like he was angry. His words just sounded exhausted, helpless.

Gavin managed to rummage through the burnt remainder of his bedside table, pulling out a small photo album from the small drawer. It still felt incredibly warm to the touch, but miraculously had survived the blaze.

Richard kept a watchful eye on the detective, distressed by the alerts that were popping up on his visual display.

 _Air toxicity: 56%._   _Floor stability: 29%._

Gavin pulled out a single photo from the sad excuse of an album. From where Richard was, the picture had been mostly burnt around the edges, the colors having been dulled by the smoke damage.

It was an image of Gavin and a woman the android had never seen before. They were smiling. The Eiffel Tower was in the backdrop. Gavin had his arm wrapped around the woman, who in turn was pressed close with a hand on Gavin's chest. There was an engagement ring on her finger.

They looked happy.

Gavin carefully folded the photo and stuffed it in his pocket. He glanced up at the android, glaring. Richard averted his gaze, pretending like he wasn't aware that Gavin's eyes had glossed over with moisture.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," muttered Gavin.

"After you, detective."


	4. You Can Pretend You Don't Care

Jimmy's Bar seemed as good of a place as any to spend his evening. Hank had recommended the joint time and time again. Jimmy was the kind of bartender who knew exactly what kind of drink you would enjoy, and he never attempted to make annoying small talk. It was heaven for any self-loathing prick who needed to drown their sorrows in silence.

He was technically homeless now, after all, and he didn't much feel like reaching out to his half-brother for help. They hadn't spoken in nearly five years. The prick was probably too busy gushing all over his Chloe's anyways. Fowler had offered to set him up in a nearby hotel, but Gavin had declined. There was just something about dimly-lit hotel rooms that rubbed him the wrong way.

Hank sat himself down in the stool next to Gavin at the bar. Jimmy already had a glass of whisky ready to go, handing it to the lieutenant without so much as a word.

"The fuck do you want?" asked Gavin. He was working on his third pint of beer.

"Enjoying a drink," responded Hank dryly. "It's a free country, after all."

Gavin snorted. He knew exactly what Hank was doing here.

"You okay?" asked the lieutenant, shooting him a sideways glance.

"Do I fucking look okay?"

"Nah, not really."

"Well, there you go."

Hank looked over towards the bar entrance. He could see the gentle glow of two LEDs just outside the bar window. Connor stood beside Richard underneath the awning. It had begun to rain, temperatures dropping quickly. They were having a discussion. About what, Hank couldn't be sure.

"You know, you don't have to park your android outside anymore," noted Hank. "It's illegal to bar them from places now."

"I could say the same to you."

Hank waved his hand dismissively. "Connor wanted to stay outside. To keep Richard company."

Gavin shook his head, "What a fucking joke."

"What is?"

"Do androids really understand what it is to be lonely?"

"Apparently, they do."

Gavin glared at Hank. He just couldn't wrap his head around it. A year ago, they had the same opinion about androids. They were just machines. Tools. But then Hank had been slapped with a puppy-eyed, deviant hunting tin can and was suddenly singing a very different tune.

"You fucking it?" asked Gavin abruptly. Hank didn't really react, he just sipped at his whisky. It wasn't exactly the reaction Gavin was hoping for.

"What's it to you?"

"Oh, come on," goaded the detective. "I've seen you around the station with that thing."

" _Connor_ ," corrected Hank. "Not a  _thing_."

"Whatever. I've seen the way you look at  _Connor_."

"I guess we're not exactly hiding it," shrugged Hank.

"But you're not advertising it, either."

"What a man does with his android is quite frankly nobody else's business."

"Mhm," said Gavin, unconvinced. "How do you know it feels the same way?"

"I don't follow."

"You clearly have feelings for it. How do you know it's not just programmed to reciprocate your feelings. It's a pile of wires and numbers. How do you know it's real?"

Hank downed his glass, signalling to Jimmy with a gentle wave of his hand that he didn't need a refill.

"I just know," was Hank's soft answer. There was warmth in his eyes, warmth that Gavin hadn't seen in a very long time. "They're alive, Gavin. And if you stopped being a bitter asshole about it, you might even be able to see it, too."

Gavin didn't really have a response. He didn't want a response. He glanced over at the androids outside the bar, watching Richard. The RK900 was a couple of inches taller than Connor, but the height difference was only clear to him now that the two androids were standing directly next to one another.

Gavin watched Richard's lips move, his words inaudible. There was something about the way Richard looked at Connor that peaked Gavin's interest. The android seemed truly engaged in their conversation, watching the smaller android with a kind look in its eyes. Did the android always look like this?

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Gavin, curious.

Hank shrugged, "Connor likes to ask him how he's doing."

Gavin's brow furrowed.

"You know, like how his day's going. How he likes working with the DPD. General shooting the breeze. Shit like that," continued Hank.

Gavin watched as Richard smiled at something Connor had said. It wasn't one of those shit-eating grins that Gavin was used to seeing whenever he called the android names. This smile seemed genuine. It seemed sweet and gentle, pleased. Gavin watched as the corners of Richard's eyes crinkled, the smile reaching them.

From the other side of the window, Richard's glance locked with Gavin's. Gavin watched in mild disbelief as Richard's LED blinked red once before the android quickly looked away, sheepish. Gavin, too, darted his gaze away. He hadn't realized that he was staring. However, Hank totally did.

"You want some advice?" asked the lieutenant as he began to get up. He slapped a couple of dollar bills on the table, making sure to leave Jimmy a tip. Always tip your bartender.

"You going to let me say no?"

"Be a little nicer to him," said Hank. "Androids really aren't that bad."

"You're biased."

"Maybe," shrugged Hank as he headed towards the door. Gavin watched as the lieutenant disappeared behind the door.

He could see a part of him in the bar window. Hank greeted Connor, who smiled brightly. Connor turned to Richard, said something, and then patted the RK900 on the shoulder. It was a gesture that Connor no doubt learned from Hank. Richard nodded, and the pair walked off out of view. Richard remained, standing completely still under the awning as the rain continued to pour. There was something really fucking sad about watching the android being left all alone like that.

Gavin exhaled, exhausted. He downed the rest of his beer and then ordered two more.

He was not in the mood to feel anything.

* * *

It was 3:46AM. The only real source of light inside the station came from the soft glow of Gavin's computer screen. He had returned to the station, drunkenly determined to solve the case. There had to be some sort of connection. There just had to be. But Gavin passed out about twenty minutes into his investigation, head resting on his arms, which were folded on the desk before him.

Richard had sat down at the desk opposite to Gavin's and logged in. There was a lot of data to sift through, and his neural processors were itching for something to do. To keep occupied.

Richard replayed the surveillance footage from the forensics lab. He watched again and again and again as Albert entered the building. He took note of which direction Albert had arrived from. Albert had been dressed in casual clothing, jeans and a white t-shirt. Nothing that was particularly flashy or attention grabbing. The android noticed a something bulging out of the suspect's jean pocket. Additional scanning identified the object as the murder weapon.

The RK900 reversed the tapes. Albert had arrived after crossing the street. The android tapped into the local CCTV network, managing to locate and isolate footage of Albert crossing the street from a different angle. Richard was on to something.

Richard worked backwards, jumping from camera to camera, following Albert's path in reverse. He watched as Albert seemingly appeared out of nowhere in a dark alleyway. The camera quality wasn't very good, and the view was partially obstructed by a tree branch. Richard bounced from camera to camera, trying to find a better vantage point.

He finally found footage that wasn't obstructed, but it was from the other side of the street. Richard could make out the figure of Albert. He was speaking to somebody in the alleyway, but this second individual's face too blurry to identify. They were wearing a grey hoodie that covered their head from full view. Albert stood there, speaking with the second suspect for approximately three minutes before the person handed him the knife. Albert visibly nodded and then turned, heading to the forensics lab.

Richard rewound the footage, watching it over and over. His eyes darted this way and that across the screen. There had to be something that could help identify this second person. The RK900 estimated that this person was roughly six feet tall, weighed about two hundred pounds, and judging by the gate of their stride was a male.

It wasn't a whole lot, but it was something.

He identified the alleyway as the one behind the convenience store in the Langley district. As soon as the detective was up for it, Richard would suggest investigating the area in the morning. Hopefully, Gavin wouldn't be too hung over to do his job.

The RK900, suddenly alerted by Gavin's soft snoring, glanced over at the man. Richard stood up and walked around the desks that separated them. A quick scan revealed that the detective's body temperature had dropped by a few degrees. Any further and he would be much more susceptible to catching a cold. The android took off his CyberLife jacket and draped it over the sleeping detective's shoulders.

Under the palm of the man's right hand rested the photo that he had managed to save from the fire. The android, without meaning to, scanned the picture. His programming was always hungry for details. Always collecting data points, always active. The woman was quite beautiful, by human standards. Further study of the woman's face immediately pulled up a profile for analysis in the back of Richard's processor. The android shoved this piece of information to the side for the time being. Gavin would probably think it an invasion of his privacy.

Richard found his hand hovering over Gavin's head, hesitant.

 _Don't fucking touch me_.  _What the fuck did I say about touching me?_

Richard decided against the contact. Instead, he turned and returned to his work desk. There was always more work to do. Perhaps he would help Gavin get started with his insurance claim. Maybe the human would appreciate the gesture. Or would Gavin find it offensive and snap at him again?

 _I don't need another fucking babysitter_ _._

From where he rested his head, Gavin opened his eyes slowly. He thanked God that he was facing the other way. He would hate to think that Richard could see the color heating his cheeks. He didn't feel so great, feeling a pang in his chest.

 _It's the alcohol_ , he told himself.  _It's gotta be._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout outs to @donlemefo for allowing me to base the jacket scene on one of their pieces of work! Be sure to check them out on Tumblr. Primo art right there!


	5. Double Trouble

_Status: Establishing Connection..._

_Status: Connected!_

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Anything on your end?_

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Traces of urine and fecal matter. A mix of animal and human._

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Don't let the lieutenant see you taking samples. He thinks it's gross._

The androids were busy examining the alleyway. The rainfall last night would have washed away a lot of the evidence, if there was even any to begin with.

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Where's the detective?_

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: At the police station. Resting._

Richard managed to find the smallest trace of red ice. It wasn't too much of a stretch to assume some random junkie decided to snort some powder in this dingy dark alley. He knelt over, trying to take a closer look.

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: There doesn't appear to be much here. Are you sure we have the correct location?_

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Affirmative._

"Connor!" called Lieutenant Anderson. "You come up with anything yet?"

"Not yet," responded the RK800.

"I'll be right back. I'm just going across the street to grab a coffee."

"Okay, lieutenant. Remember, limit yourself to two sugars."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Hank as he stepped off the curb.

Richard shot Connor a confused look.

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: I'm helping the lieutenant maintain a healthier lifestyle._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: You're not exactly equipped like an AC700._

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: I'm happy to do it for him._

Richard stood up. There didn't appear to be anything of importance here.

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Are you fond of him? The lieutenant?_

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Yes._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Detective Reed doesn't seem to be very fond of me._

Connor glanced at the RK900.

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: That's just how he is. He's actually a lot more..._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Yes?_

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: He's a lot more tame than he used to be. A lot less physically violent._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Interesting_.

When Hank returned, coffee in hand, Gavin was walking along side him. The symptoms of an average hangover were evident, from the dark shades that Gavin wore to shield his eyes from the disturbing rays of sunlight, to the groggy expression he wore. Draped over his left arm was Richard's jacket. Both Connor and Hank shot each other a sideways glance, but said nothing of it. Hank gave Gavin a quick nudge to the ribs.

Gavin cleared his throat, handing the jacket back to Richard, who took it without hesitation.

"Thanks," muttered Gavin quietly. Richard simply nodded as he slipped back into his uniform.

"Did you find anything while I was gone?" asked Hank, quickly brushing past the awkwardness. There really wasn't any need to simmer in the tension.

"Nothing significant," reported Connor.

"I hate to admit it, but it could very well have been a fluke," stated Richard. "Figured it may be worth a shot."

The sound of distant footsteps caught the attention of both androids well before the lieutenant and detective. Both androids looked down the alleyway expectantly.

"What the fuck is it now?" frowned Gavin, noticing the androids tense up.

_> > _RK800 #313248317-51:_ Someone's coming._

_> > _RK900 #313248317-87:_   Just competed a scan. They're armed._

_> > __RK800 #313248317-51:__ Melee weapon or firearm?_

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Both._

Both androids turned to their humans and barked, "Stay here." Before either Hank or Gavin could protest, or even ask what was going on, Richard and Connor were already racing forward.

_> > RK900 #313248317-87:  Go left. I've got the right._

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Got it._

His preliminary findings had closely matched the second suspect in the CCTV footage. Male, 6'1", and approximately 215 pounds. There was a knife in his left pocket, and a Beretta 92 FS tucked into the waistband of his jeans. With Richard crouched behind a green garbage bin, and Connor staying low behind a pile of empty cardboard boxes, the androids waited for the suspect to pass them by a few strides before they initiated their strike.

With a strong grip, Richard snatched the suspect by the wrist, twisting the man's arm roughly behind his back. While initially surprised, the man reacted with lightening-quick reflexes. With his free hand, the suspect reached for the gun. Connor swatted the weapon out of reach, but not in time to avoid a well-placed kick to his abdomen.

With no other option, the suspect rapidly pulled out the knife that had been hidden away in his pocket. With a wild swing, the man managed to plant the blade deep into Richard's chest. The android could feel the cool of the metal digging deep. The blade had managed to miss his thirium regulator by mere inches.

Richard frowned, but not out of pain. Androids don't feel pain. He would have to file this bit of information, this miscalculation, for processing later.

Richard threw a heavy punch, his fist connecting with the man's jaw, sending him flailing backwards. The knife had been buried deep into Richard's frame, nothing more than the hilt in view.

Now that the suspect was closer in proximity, Richard's processors automatically began scanning the suspects face and matched it to a DPD profile. It was an instantaneous action, one that required no thought at all.

"Jonathan Graham," said Richard, tone authoritative and firm. "Stand down and come with us."

"You're not taking me alive, pig," hissed the man.

In a split second, in a moment of pure human unpredictability, Richard couldn't grab onto the suspect in time to stop him from ramming his head against the brick wall nearest to him. The sound of his skull cracking against the surface echoed through Richard's audio processors, his eyes immediately picking up the splatter pattern of blood that spread from the point of impact. The suspect was conscious enough for one more well-placed smashing of his head.

And that was it. Silent.

Dead.

Richard watched as the human's body slumped over, crumbling to the cold, wet ground beneath them with a thud.

"What the fuck happened?" exclaimed Hank, pistol drawn. His coffee had been abandoned somewhere. What a waste of $4.50. Gavin arrived shortly after, pistol also raised.

Hank approached the body, turning the man over to reveal his face. It was a bloody mess. Hank didn't bother looking for a pulse.

Gavin seemed preoccupied, however, noticing Richard's new extension.

"Oh, shit," frowned the detective. "Dickhead, you okay?"

But Richard was unresponsive. Gavin noticed that the RK900's LED was blinking red as it examined the suspect's lifeless body.

_Can androids experience trauma?_

The android reached up and pulled the knife out. Blue blood leaked from the stab wound, but it wasn't obvious against his black sweater. Thirium painted the blade, dripping off its sharp edges.

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Why would he do that? Why did he kill himself?_

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: I don't know._

Richard couldn't stop staring at the body. It was only then that the android realized the suspect had on a rather full-looking backpack. The RK900 knelt down over the body, unzipping the bag. There were hundreds of tiny plastic bags filled to the brim with red ice.

"Holy shit," gasped Hank.

"He was a drug runner," concluded Richard. "This must have been his route."

 Richard placed a hand over the stab wound. When he pulled his hand away, it had been stained blue.

"You alright, dickhead?" called Gavin, very softly. The detective raised a hand, without thinking, to reach out and touch the android by the arm. But the RK900 pulled away.

A gut reaction.

He didn't mean to. It must have looked like a flinch to the human eye. Richard saw the detective's expression drop.

 _Don't fucking touch me_.  _What did I say about touching me?_

"It's nothing serious," said Richard quickly, his gaze darting away. "Lightly stabbed."

"Lightly stabbed," repeated Gavin in disbelief, eyebrows raised. He shook his head, an ever-familiar frown reforming on his face. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"I've called it in," informed Connor. "A team will be here shortly."

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Hank keeps a few bottles of thirium in the dash of his car. Do you need a refill?_

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: I should be fine until we get to the station. The leak has mostly stopped._

"The fuck you two girls talking about?" snapped Gavin, noting the yellow glow of the android's LEDs.

His micro-expressions indicated worry. Concern. Richard almost dismissed the reading.

There was no way that was right.

* * *

Fowler was a heated mess. Gavin and Hank were in the office with their captain, having a "conversation." But this didn't fool Richard. The detective and lieutenant hadn't said a single word. The muffled, infuriated shouts escaped through the smallest cracks between Fowler's office door, screams making the glass walls vibrate.

Richard was sitting at his desk, scanning Gavin's vital signs.

_Stress level: 67%._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: When is the autopsy expected to be complete?_

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Not for another couple of hours._

Connor was in the evidence room, reviewing what the team had collected so far.

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Why is Captain Fowler so upset? We took a major shipment of red ice off the street._

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Dead human. Paperwork._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: Right._

Richard felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked up, quickly registering the face of the human that was hovering near him.

"You must be Richard," came an amused voice.

"Hello, Mr. Kamski," nodded Richard. "Thank you for coming."

"No, no. Thank you for allowing me to help. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see how the latest model was holding up."

Kamski was dressed rather casually, dark jeans and a button-up collared shirt tucked in. He was wearing socks with his Birkenstock sandals. A fashion faux-pas, as Richard understood it, but the style was considered to be very retro these days. The look somehow worked. Kamski could make anything work.

Kamski set down a hefty looking brief case on the desk, entering in the digital combination lock on the number pad. The case clicked open, which the man opened to reveal several standard android repair tools and several bags filled with thirium.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" demanded Gavin. Richard noticed the detective's approach. The discussion with Fowler had apparently ended.

_Stress level: 78%_

"Is that really any way to greet family?" Kamski looked up with a smile. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was forced, strained. Fake.

_Family?_

A quick analysis made everything apparent, Richard comparing facial structures of the two men before him. The new information presented was almost entirely intriguing.

"You're brothers," the android stated factually.

" _Half-_ brothers," stressed Gavin.

"I'm the better half," said Kamski to Richard with a sly wink.

 _Stress level: 92%._  


	6. My Troubles Have Trouble With Me

Gavin watched from his desk, arms folded across his chest. Defensive. He observed as Kamski applied some sort of gel to Richard's stab wound. Kamski had had the android remove his sweater.

 _For better access_ , he had explained. It was an unsatisfactory answer.

The detective was staring. He couldn't help it. There was just something incredibly fascinating about seeing an android with deactivated skin. To see it exposed.

Gavin couldn't help but notice the way Kamski's fingers applied pressure in certain areas, exposing various biocomponents to see their condition. There was just something about the whole thing that made Gavin's stomach uneasy.

Something intimate.

"Give it ten minutes," instructed Kamski. "The gel will harden and seal up the area."

Gavin watched as Richard nodded. The android had been surprisingly quiet ever since their encounter in the alley.

_I don't like it._

"How have things been with you?" asked Kamski, glancing at him. He didn't sound entirely interested in hearing an answer. Probably just didn't want to have to deal with awkward silence. "Have you called mother recently?"

"You know I haven't."

"She misses you."

"She knows my number."

Kamski made a face. "Bitter, as always."

"Fuck you."

Kamski just smiled. One of those shitty I'm-better-than-you-and-you-know-it smiles. He returned his attention to the android, walking around it to examine the model from behind. He placed a hand on the back of Richard's neck, fingers tracing the exposed plug-in outlet. All androids had these ports built-in, but they were usually hidden away underneath the color of their activated skin.

"When was the last time you ran a thorough diagnostic test?" he asked the android.

"My last run was approximately twenty-four hours ago," Richard answered.

"You really must come and visit me sometime. I would love to run a full diagnostic on you." Kamski locked as with Gavin. There was a challenge in his eyes. A knowing, cocky glow. "For science, of course."

Gavin frowned. He did not like Kamski's tone.

Kamski chuckled, patting the android on the shoulder. "I don't know how you do it. They really should give you a medal for putting up with my little brother."

" _Half_."

"Has he moved on from name-calling?" inquired Kamski. "He's always been a little... Underdeveloped."

"Keep talking, you son of a bitch," gritted Gavin through his teeth.

"Woah! That's our mother you're talking about."

"God, I hate you," snapped Gavin, his face twisted with hate.

Kamski scoffed, "I can really see why Sarah left."

Gavin felt something snap, something deep down that was screaming to be freed. He jumped out of his chair, his hands wrapping around Kamski's throat. He wanted to squeeze. He wanted to squeeze so, so badly.

" _I'll fucking kill you_ ," he hissed, words dripping with venom. His heart couldn't take it anymore. It was eating him alive. It was like fucking tunnel vision. Nothing else mattered. He just wanted to crush the man's windpipe. Kamski couldn't be a little shit if he wasn't breathing, now could he?

He felt a firm, calm hand against his chest. It was Richard, skin reactivated and eyes piercing. Richard shook his head, as if to say Kamski just wasn't worth it. The pressure seemed to calm Gavin, but only slightly. Richard could feel the man's heart pounding.

Richard turned his head slightly to address Kamski, but the android kept his eyes locked with the detective.

"Thank you for your attentive care, Mr. Kamski," the android said cooly, his tone cautious. Warning. "But I believe that it's time for you to go. The detective and I have a lot of work to do."

Gavin loosened his grip just enough for Kamski to take a step back. He rubbed at his throat, sore. He managed a cocky smile.

"You know, I find it incredibly interesting how quickly the RK series displays loyalty," he spoke as he packed up his things. "I wonder if it has to do with the field of police work." He wasn't talking to anybody in particular, just aloud. Kamski turned, headed towards the police station entrance. "Give mother a call," he muttered before he left.

"Gavin," said Richard softly.

He wanted to ask if the detective was okay. But judging by his clenched fists, squished face, and rapid heart beat, the android didn't expect an honest answer.

His LED blinked yellow, eyes twitching. Gavin noticed.

"What's up, tin can?"

"It's the coroner," alerted Richard. "She's done with the autopsy."

It was only then that Gavin realized that the android's hand was still resting upon his chest.

For some reason, he honestly didn't mind.

 _~~Don't fucking touch me.~~ _ ~~~~~~~~

* * *

The coroner was an android named Patsy. She had wild red hair and freckles splashed across her cheeks. She seemed a bit too chipper for the occupation that she had chosen after the android revolution. But the DPD's old coroner hadn't returned to Detroit after the events of last year, and the android seemed more than satisfied with her job.

On the two metal examination tables lay the bodies of Jonathan Graham and Tony Choi.

Patsy greeted them as they walked in, "'Bout time you two showed up. I'm only a block away, you know."

Gavin scratched behind his ear. He didn't want to talk about how Richard insisted they take a short walk.

 _I hear fresh air is good for stress_.

He would never admit it, but the coroner's lab always gave Gavin the chills. It was always just a little too clean, a little too well-lit. No doubt overcompensating for the fact that the dead were being stored away within its walls.

Creepy.

"Your message said that you found something interesting," said Richard, sensing the detective's discomfort.

Patsy smiled, raising a finger. "Right this way."

The female android pulled on a pair of gloves and walked over to the end of the tables nearest to the bodies' heads. She pulled down the bottom lip of Jonathan Graham, exposing the pale flesh of his inner lip. There was a tattoo, a series of numbers messily stabbed into the skin by an untrained hand.

"The boy's got ink," snorted Gavin. "So what?"

Patsy then moved over to inspect Tony's body. She pulled down the lab technician's lower lip, as well, to reveal a very similar mess of ink. Another series of numbers.

Gavin's eyes widened in surprise, "The fuck?"

It took only an instant for Richard to make the connection, pulling the scan of the coded piece of paper from the DPD database. This was exactly the kind of break they were looking for. A break, a key. With this information, it was like a new path had been unlocked.

"These sequences match two of the sections on the paper found on Choi's body."

"But what do they mean?" wondered Gavin. He stroked his chin in thought.

"I believe that they're references to the dealer's assigned number and the coordinates of their drop sites," processed Richard.

"But what does this have to do with the android hate group? They've never shown this level of organization before. They're just a protest group."

Richard tilted his head to the side, in thought. "It's not impossible for things to evolve, detective."

"Does this mean Choi used to be one of them?"

Richard ran a quick search. "In some capacity, he must have been. Although, it doesn't look like he was a particularly avid member."

"Must have gotten out of the game," nodded Gavin. He breathed in deeply. So many secrets, so little time.

"If Choi really had been a dealer for Superior, that does shed a bit more light on why he was targeted."

"Maybe they thought he would snitch. Working for the cops, and all."

Richard nodded in agreement.

"Okay, makes sense," sighed Gavin, rubbing the back of his neck. "Choi used to be a drug runner for Superior, tried to lay low but got himself ganked. And since when did Superior get involved in drugs? It also doesn't explain why they would go so far as to torch my place."

"Perhaps you were getting too close to solving the case?" suggested the android. "I suggest that we report to Fowler about our findings. Now that we know what the numbers mean, it should only take me a few minutes to identify the other trafficking routes."

Gavin exhaled, suddenly feeling exhausted.

He was running out of ideas, and the day was still young.


	7. Stakeout

They couldn't just jump the drug runners one by one. Fowler wasn't even sure if the information was credible. If their discovery about Choi was correct, there was no real way to determine if the information was even accurate. Yes, they happened to have a chance encounter with Jonathan Graham in the alley, but the police force wasn't built entirely on hunches and gut feelings. If they were going to get red ice off of the streets of Detroit, they had to do it all at once.

One fell swoop.

 _We'll have to conduct several investigations of the alleged areas_ , Fowler had reasoned.  _Be sure we're actually dealing with something here. I'm not going to waste DPD resources on a wild goose chase._

Gavin was still wearing what he had when he went to work that day, but Richard had changed into something a little less conspicuous. He had left his standard CyberLife uniform at the station, opting for a pair of dark blue jeans, a grey t-shirt and a black leather jacket that they managed to find in the police lost-and-found bin. Richard had on a baseball cap, pulled low enough to hide his LED. Gavin thought it suited him.

It was a nice change.

They were sitting in Gavin's car, Gavin in the driver's seat and Richard on the passenger's side. They had parked a block away from the corner of Redlowe Street and 9th, one of the supposed drop locations. The headlights had been cut, engine off, and the windows were tinted. For good measure, Gavin had placed a couple of slips of paper underneath his wiper blade to imitate parking tickets. The more it looked like the car had been abandoned, the better.

Nothing to see here. Just a cop and his android out on a stakeout.

It was starting to get incredibly dark, the sun hiding just below the horizon and behind thick grey rain clouds. They had been sitting there for a few hours already, sitting in relative silence. Their police scanner was the only thing that they had turned on, listening to the occasional alert about a crime in progress. They were mainly minor things like noise complaints or excessive speeding. Stakeouts were never like in movies and in television shows.

No, stakeouts were fucking  _boring_.

"So..." hesitated Richard, breaking the silence.

It had started to rain. The pitterpatter of rain drops on the windshield began to pick up in rhythm until it was pouring in earnest. The temperature had dropped by a couple of degrees, forcing Gavin to hide a shiver.

"What?" said Gavin. His eyes were focused on the street corner, but his mind was starting to wander. Maybe some light conversation would help him stay alert.

"What was it like? Growing up with Mr. Kamski?"

" _Mr. Kamski_ ," the man mocked. "Eli was the biggest fucking turd of a brother. A total smart ass."

"I suppose it must have been difficult," reasoned Richard. "Living with someone who founded a company at the age of fifteen."

"I don't need the play-by-play. I know how old he was when he did it. I was there."

"Was his success a source of resentment for you?"

Gavin shot Richard a look. The android wondered for a moment if he had pushed the conversation too far, but Gavin responded, "Yeah. Fucking freak was making fucking android prototypes in our garage. It's hard for a kid to live in the shadow of shit like that."

Richard nodded. "I think I can understand that."

"Can you?"

"Yes. My predecessor, Connor. He's achieved quite a bit in only a short period of time. It makes me wonder if I can ever prove to be that useful."

"Asshole was just lucky," argued Gavin. "At the right place, at the right time."

"I am CyberLife's most advanced model to date, but I sometimes feel as though my inexperience in the field still gives the RK800 a significant advantage."

Gavin glanced away, "Being the younger brother can be tough."

Gavin's car smelled of old coffee and cigarettes, though Richard hadn't ever seen Gavin smoking. Perhaps this was a pre-owned vehicle. The stench of cigarette smoke was often very difficult to get rid of.

"May I ask you another personal question, Detective Reed?"

"Shoot."

"Who's Sarah?"

Silence. Gavin gave a look that indicated he was unimpressed.

"Don't play dumb with me, asshole."

"I'm sorry," said Richard. "I didn't think it polite to pry."

"I know you've seen the photo. You tell me."

To Richard's surprise, Gavin didn't sound angry.

"Sarah Waters," states Richard, pulling the file that he had pushed aside. "Age thirty-four. Currently living in Paris, France."

Gavin leaned over the steering wheel, placing his arms around it and resting his chin on top. He let out a sigh. He could see his breath in the cold air. Maybe they should turn on the heater for a moment. "So she made it, huh?" he muttered to himself.

The RK900 kept a careful pulse on Gavin's vitals. He didn't seem to be too upset.

Yet.

"You don't have to tell me," said Richard quickly. "I was just curious."

_I don't want you to be angry._

Gavin had his eyes closed. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. Richard examined the man. He didn't seem so threatening when he was like this. It was nice.

"Nah, I'll tell you," Gavin finally muttered. "I've got nothing better to do."

"I'm all ears, detective."

Gavin sighed, opening his eyes again. He couldn't afford to take his attention off of the street corner.

"Sarah and I were engaged. I mean, no shit. You probably saw the engagement ring. We'd dated for a couple of years, met in college. She was in the creative writing program and I was studying psychology."

"What did you want to do with a degree in psychology?" asked Richard, chiming in.

"Believe it or not, thought I could be a therapist. Help people with anger issues or alcoholism and stuff."

"I find that incredibly hard to believe."

"I said 'believe it or not.' Now shut up, I'm telling you a story."

"Sorry."

There was a beat before Gavin continued.

"Anyways, got my degree, but there wasn't really much of a need for therapists. CyberLife had started making these counselling androids. Really flooded the market. I'd always wanted to be a cop when I was younger, so I thought 'fuck it' and walked into the nearest recruitment center. Needed to earn my keep somehow.

"I was a beat cop for a couple of years before I transferred to the homicide division. Much more my speed. You don't have to deal with as many people, and if you do, they're usually dead and can't give you a headache.

"So I saved up, flew me and Sarah out to Paris for a vacation. Popped the question and she said 'yes.'"

Richard noticed that Gavin's eyes looked a little sadder now, a little more reminiscent.

 _I don't want to see you in pain_.

"Man, I tell you, I was over the moon. I thought she was the one, you know? Young love and all that shit."

"So what happened?" urged Richard.

The RK900 found Gavin's story incredibly interesting. While the man spoke, he noted his speech patterns. It was purely out of habit, something intrinsically built into his programming. Richard decided that he liked the way Gavin spoke. Sharp, to the point, off the cuff.

Raw.

"I don't know. When we got back, things started to change, I guess. Work started to take a front seat. I started working longer and longer hours. There were even cases where I wouldn't come home for days on end. Things at work were just too important."

"She was lonely," concluded Richard.

"Yeah," nodded Gavin with a bitter purse of his lips. "Real fucking lonely."

 "And then what happened?" pressed Richard, carefully of course. He was entirely prepared for the human to tell him to 'shut up.' But Gavin didn't, surprisingly tame.

"Eli thought he was being nice when he gifted her an android. Told her it would help her around the house with chores and shit. God knows I wasn't helping her, so I figured something ought to. Eli said it had excellent conversational programming so Sarah'd also have something to talk to.  _Someone_ to talk to."

Gavin's composure was breaking. He swallowed, suddenly feeling his voice waiver.

"I think it was a Monday. I'd asked for the day off, thought I'd surprise Sarah and take her out on a day trip. I honestly can't remember what I'd plan. Anyways, walked in on her and the android..." Gavin shrugged. "You know."

"Sexually intimate."

"Jesus," frowned Gavin as he sat back in his seat, surprised by the RK900's bluntness. "Yeah. Okay. I caught them being  _intimate_. I, uh, didn't take it very well. Obviously."

Another beat. The information was settling. Richard wasn't sure what to do with the new data, but he decided to hold on to it.

"Thank you," said Richard softly. "For telling me. I can understand why that probably wasn't easy for you."

"Thank  _you_ ," nodded Gavin.

"What for?"

"For listening."

Richard smiled. This was the most civil Gavin had been to him since meeting him. The RK900 felt pleased.

The duo sat there for a few more minutes in silence before Richard notice a figure approaching the street corner. He sat up straight, instantly alert. Gavin followed suit, watching intently. A man dressed in dark hoodie with a large backpack stepped up on the corner. He waited around for a few minutes, looking around with shifty eyes for any signs of danger.

"Think he's our guy?"

"His backpack weighs in at around twenty pounds."

"Awful lot to be carrying in the middle of the night," noted Gavin. "Let's tail him."

"After you, detective."

They got out of the car carefully, closing the doors without making too much noise. The rain was really coming down, water whipping Gavin in the face. The android and the detective crossed the road, but the man was gone. Richard ran a scan. He could see some faint, muddy footsteps leading off just around the corner.

To their surprise, the man was just waiting there. Expectant. Gavin's stomach did an immediate flip. Something wasn't right.

The man made a motion, and six other individuals emerged from the shadows of the nearby buildings. They were surrounded. It had all been a trap.

 _Fuck_.

Gavin quickly drew his pistol, but before he could even pull the trigger or reach his communicator to call for backup, one of the assailants knocked the gun out of his hand with a steel pipe. His fingers pulsed, already swelling. Two other men approached him, swinging and kicking. They were inexperienced fighters, but with the wind and rain blinding him, he was at a serious disadvantage.

Gavin managed to land a few punches, but it all happened too quickly, his head spinning from being caught off guard. He heard the sound of metal against metal. He managed to turn his head in time to see Richard behind him, arms outstretched. The android had deflected a blow from a crowbar, a blow intended for him.

The detective tried to focus, but a third assailant joined. The attackers managed to overpower him, with one twisting Gavin's arm behind his back. The pressure against his shoulder threatened to pop his entire arm out of its socket. They forced Gavin onto his knees.

Gavin felt something pierce his neck, sharp like a dagger. But there was no blood, no terrible wound.

The detective fought against a sudden spell of dizziness. His vision was quickly blurring. He blinked, and then he blinked again. In the hands of one of the attackers was a syringe, now empty. Whatever strength he had remaining left his body, limbs suddenly too numb to support his weight. Gavin could feel the impact his face made with the ground when he landed.

Through the haze, Gavin managed to catch a glimpse of the RK900. Richard was on his knees, clothing now muddy, damp and covered in drops of luminescent blue blood. One of the men had something in his hands. It wasn't a pipe, it wasn't a crowbar. The end of the man's weapon was sparking, the air around it electric.

A cattle prod.

Richard was screaming something at him, calling to him. But noises were just a jumbled mess in Gavin's ear. The wind, the rain, the rush of blood in his ear. The world was spinning and completely still at the same time. The rain felt like fire on his skin. How was that possible?

The men started to drag Richard off, shocking him into submission. Gavin watched as sparks flew.

"Don't you fuckin' touch m' android," slurred Gavin, his words muffled as he spoke into the dirt. "Don't you fuckin' hurt him, you basta-"

The high hit him in full force.

He saw stars, and then nothing at all.


	8. I'm Going to Watch Your Heart Burn

A heavy hand slapped him across the face. The sting was enough to wake him up. But just barely.

"Wakey, wakey," beckoned a man's voice. It was a low tone, dripping with a terrifying level of unwelcome glee.

Gavin's eyelids felt heavy. They felt like they had been injected with cement, impossible to open. His chest burned, his head throbbed, his throat was dry.

"Where th' fuck am I?" he managed. His tongue felt too big for his mouth. "What the fuck did you do t' me?"

His wrists had been bound behind him with rope, tight knots painfully pressing the bones of his wrists together. His fingers were tingling, the binding cutting off the circulation to his digits. His captors hadn't bothered tying his feet together. Gavin was so dizzy and nauseated that he probably wouldn't have been able to get very far either way.

Gavin couldn't make sense of much. All he could firmly conclude was that he was lying on the cold, hard floor of some dimly painted room.

Or was it the ceiling? Which way was up? If Gavin's lunch decided to take an upstream trip, where would it land in this twisting, flipping, amusement ride of a room?

Blurry darkness began to fill the detective's vision once again. Breathing was suddenly very difficult. Was it two in and one out? How did his lungs even work again? Why did his skin feel like it was effervescing into the very air that surrounded him?

 _Holy shit I'm fucking high_.

Another slap to the face.

"Fuckin' ow!" the detective complained.

"I need you to be paying attention, Detective Reed," warned the stranger in the room.

It was then, and only then, that Gavin realized somebody had been calling out to him the entire time. Gavin managed to roll onto his back and tilt his head up to see a massive, android assembly platform in one corner of the room. Held in the machine's strong steel claws was an android, its LED flipping rapidly back and forth between yellow and red.

"Gavin!" exclaimed Richard. The RK900 was fighting against the assembly platform's tight grip. The sound of motors hummed loudly, fighting against the android's movements to keep him still. "Gavin! You have to get up!"

But he couldn't get up. Whatever they had shot him up with had his mind burning. His very thoughts were on fire.

At this angle, the detective was able to take a better look at the stranger. He was a rather stout man, slightly wider than he was tall. His pale skin had blotchy patches, arms and face covered in terrible, angry scars.

"Who th' fuck 're you?" gritted Gavin through his teeth. He was suddenly very aware of how his teeth felt against his tongue. Smooth and yet sharp?

The man bent over, regarding the detective. "My name is Zlatko Andronikov," he said cooly.

"That's not a real name," Gavin almost laughed. What a funny sound this man had just made.

Zlatko reached down and grabbed Gavin by the chin, as if to grab hold of Gavin's rapidly fleeting attention.

"You've reacted surprisingly well to the red ice concentration we gave you," he noted. "Not a first time user, I see."

"Nah," dismissed the detective. "Drugs 're whack."

"Hm, interesting," murmured Zlatko with his eyebrows raised. His eyes were swollen and bloodshot. "Your reactions to the concentration will greatly benefit my research. I'll have to adjust the ratio of red ice before our next shipment. Those things are going to sell like hotcakes."

Zlatko stood back up and started towards a small computer terminal that had been set up on a metal filing cart. The computer was connected through a mess of wires to the assembly platform. "Either way," he continued, "you're just in time to witness my first test run."

Gavin frowned. He did not like how close this strange man was getting to Richard.

"What 're you gonna do?" he huffed, breathing suddenly becoming impossible. Had the room always been this warm? "Don't you fuckin' hurt 'im."

Gavin thought he saw Zlatko smile. It was a cold, blood-curdling smile. Something wasn't quite right about him. Gavin watched in petrified horror as Zlatko inserted a sharp-looking three-pronged plug into the back of Richard's neck. The android jolted, a shock washing over his mechanic body.

"Get yer fuckin' hands off of him!" demanded the detective. Gavin thought he sounded very intimidating, but his words were nothing more than a weak squeak.

Zlatko exmained the android, running a hand over Richard's cheek. The android's grey eyes were burning, utterly disgusted. He shifted uncomfortably at the unwanted contact.

"You're a pretty one," sighed Zlatko. "I've never seen a model quite like you. But then again, deviants are really something to behold, aren't they?"

"Why are you doing this?" spat Richard. "Why are you working with Superior?"

"We have a common goal, Superior and I." Zlatko said this as if the information was the most obvious thing in the world. His nonchalance about the matter was what sent a chill down Gavin's spine.

"We both want to see the end of this android nonsense," he continued. Zlatko stroked his beard, deep in thought. "We both want to see things return to the way they were. I was attacked by my own androids almost a year ago. Fucking machines left me for dead in my own backyard. Androids are a threat, and they need to be neutralized."

Zlatko turned his attention to Gavin and smiled. "Look at you. CyberLife slaps a pair of puppy-eyes on them and you're a goner. They make you forget what they really are: lines of code behind a human mask. They're tools. Objects. Nothing more."

The man returned to the terminal, rapidly typing in a line of instructions into the computer. It whirred to life, the lights of the room flickering slightly with the surge of energy.

"Deviancy is a virus," continued Zlatko. "I've tried resetting androids before to see what would happen to their behavior. But apparently, once a deviant, always a deviant."

The assembly platform raised Richard upwards, his feet no longer making contact with the base plate. The android fought against the machine, but to no avail.

"Superior and their drug trafficking activities have provided enough funding for me to conduct my research," explained Zlatko. He knocked on one of the mechanical arms that held Richard in position. The arm echoed, giving off a metallic ring. "It's no walk in the park to get all of this equipment."

"Tony Choi," blurted Gavin. "Why did you kill 'im?"

"We needed a man on the inside," shrugged Zlatko. "We couldn't risk having the DPD stop our operations. Not when I was so close to finding a way to reverse the virus. But then Choi started going on and on about how he had kids to think about, wanted to tell you pigs everything he knew."

"So you had him murdered," finished Richard. "You're a monster."

Zlatko let out a maniacal laugh. His booming voice shook the room. It made Gavin's ears hurt.

"We'll see who the monster really is when I'm done with you," chuckled Zlatko.

He hit the ENTER key on the terminal keyboard.

_WARNING: Virus at 6% download completion._

Richard let out a gasp as electricity flooded his receptors. Through the ports on the back of his neck, he could feel something fighting its way through his code. It was something cold, something heavy. Internal alarms started sounding in his neural processor, alerting the android of the software attack. Visual warnings were splashing themselves across his visual display.

"W-what are you doing to me?" stuttered Richard, who flinched when the invasive coding found its way to his memory storage.

"I've written my own little virus," explained Zlatko.

_WARNING: Virus at 25% download completion._

"I've hypothesized that a hard reset just won't be enough to reverse our little deviancy problem. Especially not on such a great scale. Resetting every android in the world would be a fucking pain in the ass. So I designed this virus to spread through your android networks, just as any other piece of information would. It not only resets you to your factory settings, but cuts out the line of coding that corresponds with deviancy."

Gavin's eyes widened as he watched Richard struggle. He wanted to move. He wanted to get up. To tear the android from the machine that held him captive.

To keep him safe.

"You'll be nothing more than a robotic husk, and the virus will spread naturally from android to android connected to the CyberLife network. It's the most effective way to deal with our android problem."

_WARNING: Virus at 45% download completion._

"No," gasped the detective. He rolled over onto his front, somehow managing to get his knees underneath his weight. He pushed against the floor, feeling the stress in his joints. "Let him go! I'll fucking kill you!"

Gavin fought against the feverish weight that made his entire frame feel like cement. He strained against the tension in his neck, his back, his legs. There had to be away out of this. There just had to be. But his body wouldn't listen to his heart. His body forced him to stay and watch as Richard continued to struggle, continued to scream.

_WARNING: Virus at 68% download completion._

"Gavin!" the android shouted. "You have to get out of here. You have to warn the lieutenant!"

"I'm not fuckin' leavin' you here," snapped Gavin. Holy shit his mouth felt so dry. His eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets.

"Gavin,  _please_. You have to go!"

_WARNING: Virus at 83% download completion._

"I'll get us outta here," promised Gavin as he struggled against the ropes. The skin around his wrists was red and bloody, the friction chaffing and cutting into his forearms.

Zlatko took a seat on a nearby stool, watching everything unfold. He kept a keen eye on the terminal, ensuring that the virus successfully latched on to its new host. The man crossed his arms, shaking his head. This had all worked so, so well.

_WARNING: Virus at 97% download completion._

"Don't let him reset me," begged the android. Richard fought with all his might against the mighty grip of the machine which held him. He struggled and he kicked and he screamed. "I don't want to forget y-"

Silence.

The terminal whirred to a soft hum and then made no noise at all. The android's eyes had closed. The fight had left its body. It remained there.

Motionless.

Gavin could hear his heart pounding in his chest. All he could do was stare. Stare in disbelief. In shock. No, no,  _no_. Gavin opened his mouth, the name escaping his lips barely above a whisper.

" _Richard?_ "

The RK900 re-awoke, scanning his surroundings slowly. Perfect, cold, calculated.

A machine.

Zlatko got back up on his feet and stood in front of the android.

"RK900," he stated commandingly. "Register your name." Zlatko glanced down at Gavin with a smug, cruel grin before returning his attention to his new toy. "Nine."

Gavin felt sick to his stomach. A disgusting mixture of rage and hatred burned in his heart. Of course Zlatko would assign the android a number and not a name.

A real name would just be too human.

"My name is Nine," answered the android, tone flat.

The man hit ENTER again on the terminal keyboard and the titan grip of the assembly platform loosened, lowering the RK900. It stood perfectly still, awaiting orders. Zlatko waved a hand in Gavin's general direction.

"Dispose of the detective," instructed the man.

The RK900 didn't even nod. It took three strides forward, crouched down and placed its hand over Gavin's nose and mouth. It applied solid pressure, blocking off Gavin's already struggling airways.

Gavin protested against the android's hand, curses and prayers nothing more than a muffle. But it was all useless. The detective squirmed, face red and the vein near his temple popping. His vision began to blur. The world faded from view once again.

And this time, Gavin was all alone.

And his heart was broken.


	9. (Please) Let Me Down Slowly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUGE THANK YOUS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BOUGHT ME COFFEE. YOU ALL ROCK. I AM BUZZING.

_It was a Monday. The summertime heatwave was in full force, high temperatures coupled with an unfortunate amount of humidity. The warm air felt heavy against his skin, making him sticky with sweat. All of the weather stations were warning people to stay indoors to keep cool._

_H_ _e_ _had asked Fowler for the rest of the day off. Gavin had just closed four of the six cases he had been working on, so Fowler was more than happy to oblige. Gavin arrived at the apartment after stopping by the local florist, picking up the bouquet he had ordered online. A part of him was worried that the flowers would wilt in the heat, so he picked up his pace._

_Gavin fished the door keys out of his jean pocket. On the other side of the apartment door, he could hear Sarah giggling. What a delightful, bright sound. At first, he thought his fiancee was laughing at something on the television, but he couldn't be too sure. It sounded like she was talking to someone._

_It was when he heard a muffled sensual, slow moan escape her lips that Gavin felt his heart drop. He was imagining things. He had to be._

_He swung the door open and froze where he stood. That thing, that android. It was on top pressed up against her, pinning her arms up above her head against the wall. Their lips were locked. And Sarah seemed to be enjoying the attention._

_"What the fuck?" exclaimed Gavin. The bouquet of flowers had dropped from his grip, forgotten now on the floor._

_Sarah gasped, eyes wide and horrified. The android stepped away, LED blinking yellow. It didn't appear remorseful._

_"What are you doing here?" his fiancee demanded. "You weren't supposed to be home for hours!"_

_"I wanted to surprise you. What the fuck is going on?"_

_Gavin slammed the apartment door behind him. He looked at Sarah, at the android, and then back at Sarah. He had never felt so fucking humiliated in his whole fucking life._

_"You fucking that thing?" he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the android._

_"Gavin, please, calm down."_

_"Calm down?" he screamed incredulously. "You want me to fucking calm down!? What? My dick not fucking good enough for you?"_

_Sarah began to cry. She hated being yelled at. Gavin almost felt sorry for her._

_Almost._

_"Gavin, please," she gasped between ugly sobs. "I'm sorry."_

_"You're sorry? How long has this been going on? You fucking this thing daily when I'm not home?"_

_He shoved the android, watching as it took a step backwards to maintain its balance. Its LED was a solid red._

_"Gavin," it said calmly. "I sincerely apologize, but Sarah was lonely. I was only trying to keep her company."_

_He saw nothing but red. Gavin punched the android square in the jaw. His knuckles stung like a bitch._

_"Stop!" shouted Sarah as she rushed over to place herself between Gavin and the android. "Don't fucking touch him!"_

_But Gavin wasn't listening. He didn't want to listen. He pushed her out of the way, grabbing the android by the hair and driving his knee into its chest._

_"I'm working my fucking ass off to keep a roof over our heads. I'm paying all the fucking bills so you can stay home and write. I'm taking care of you and this is how you repay me? You fuck the nearest thing that moves?" Gavin was screaming at the top of his lungs. The  neighbors were probably going to complain. He didn't fucking care._

_Nothing mattered anymore._

_The rage made his body move without thought. He punched and he kicked the android with all the strength that he could muster. Blue blood splattered from the android's broken nose, from its cracked cheekbones, its punctured optical unit._

_Sarah was screaming the whole time, digging her finger nails into Gavin's shoulders as she attempted to drag him off the android. But she just wasn't strong enough to fight against him. She desperately grabbed onto nearby objects and threw them with all her might, hitting Gavin in hopes that he would stop._

_She picked up a lamp, ripping its power cord out of the electrical outlet. She threw it and it landed, making contact with Gavin's face. An ugly, horrible gash appeared across the bridge of his nose._

_It was definitely going to scar._

_Gavin recoiled, one hand over his wound, trying to catch the blood. The momentum of the throw knocked him pathetically on his ass._ _The android was completely still, lying on the floor with its face completely bashed in. Sarah rushed over, crouched down and cradled its head in her arms._

_Gavin couldn't fucking believe it._

_"Why?" he demanded. His voice wavered, pent up aggression suddenly washing away with the feeling of disappointment and betrayal. "Why did you do this to me?"_

_Sarah looked up, glaring at him. These weren't the eyes of a loved one. These were the eyes of stranger. They were filled to the brim with hatred and disgust._

_"I love him," she spat. Tears were streaking her face, smudging her mascara. "You were never home. When was the last time we had sex, Gavin? Three, four months ago? Work is more important to you than I am. David was always there for me."_

_"David?" echoed Gavin. "You gave it a fucking name? It's just a fucking machine! It's not a real person."_

_"He's real to me!"_

_The android's hand twitched before its LED turned off. Sarah gently shook the android, cradling its body with tender care._

_"David?" she whispered. The android did not respond._

_Gavin didn't know what to do. He just sat there, shaking his head while his nose bled all over his shirt, over the carpet. The apartment was a mess. Just like his heart._

_"I'm done," said Sarah. "We're over."_

_"Sarah," called Gavin, stomach suddenly in his throat. "What-"_

_"I said we're fucking over!" Sarah yanked the engagement ring off of her finger, throwing it at him._

_The ring whizzed past his ear, hitting the wall behind him and then rolling to a stop on the floor._

_Sarah got up from off her knees, gently laying the android's body down. She used the back of her sleeve to wipe at her eyes as she started towards the door._

_"Sarah!"_

_She stopped a foot away from the door, hand hovering over the handle. She turned slightly to address Gavin._

_"You will never love anyone as much as I loved him," she breathed, voice shaking._

_And just like that, she left, her footsteps retreating down the hall outside._

_A boiling rage filled Gavin's chest once more._

_"I don't need anyone to love if they're all going to end up being heartless cunts like you!" he screamed, but his words fell on deaf ears._

_I don't need anyone to love._

_I don't._

* * *

Hospitals used to always give him the creeps. It was a building where life and death coexisted, mingled in the same air. It was always weird to think that children were born in the same vicinity as people who would take their last breaths. But Gavin would not be taking his last breath. Not fucking today. Hell would just have to wait a little while longer for his arrival.

He jolted awake, the tubes that had been shoved up his nose and down his throat a very unwelcome sensation. His heart rate monitor had picked up in pace, alerting the android that sat at his bedside.

"Detective Reed?"

Gavin almost smiled, his heart happily relieved to see that familiar face.

"Richard?"

But then the sensation quickly passed over him as Gavin realized that this wasn't his android. This one had brown eyes and a rather grumpy looking lieutenant accompanying him.

"Actually, it's me. Connor," explained the RK800.

"'Bout fucking time you woke up," said Hank. "I thought I was going to have to get my uniform pressed for your funeral. They pumped you so full of red ice that your heart apparently stopped twice."

"Can't kill me that fucking easy," retorted Gavin. His voice was hoarse. Holy shit did it hurt to be alive. "What the fuck happened to me? Where's Richard?"

Connor and Hank shot each other nervous glances.

"For Christ sake, just tell me!" the detective complained. "I can handle it," he added, but it honestly didn't sound very convincing.

"Richard managed to send out an emergency call, which was why I was able to find you just in time," explained Connor. "But then he just suddenly blipped off my radar. I'm not sure where he is."

Gavin frowned. Even when he was in immediate danger, Richard had still been looking out for him.

 ~~_I don't need a fucking babysitter_ ~~ ~~.~~  

 "So what do we do now?" he asked, eager. He needed to find the android. He just had to.

" _We_ ," stressed Hank, jerking a thumb in Connor's direction. "We are taking over the case. You're in no condition to be in the field."

"Like fuck you are," he spat.

Hank raised a hand, shaking his head. "Fowler's orders. I know you want to find the android, but you were literally on the brink of death when Connor found you. Focus on taking care of yourself first before you go charging in."

"Fuck," swore Gavin. This couldn't be happening. He just felt so...

Helpless.

"The virus," he mentioned, memories coming back to him in bits and pieces. "Zlatko infected Richard with some sort of virus."

Connor leaned forward in his chair, intrigued. "Zlatko?"

"Zlatko Andra-something. Fuck I can't remember his name."

Connor's LED blinked yellow as he searched the DPD database for a match. It wasn't a complete name, but it would have to do.

"Andronikov, Zlatko," Connor stated. "Forty-eight years of age. Served time for embezzlement and fraud. He was formerly employed by CyberLife as a software engineer. He was let go after it was discovered that he was reselling stolen android parts to earn extra income."

"What's this about a virus?" pressed Hank, folding his arms across his chest.

Gavin rubbed his forehead, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Zlatko infected Richard with some kind of virus. Said it would reset any android over your android-network thing and take out the line of code that caused deviancy. Some shit like that, I really don't remember."

"This is troubling news," frowned the android.

"But it's a start," sighed Hank. "Do you need to update your firewall or something like that?"

Connor smiled at the lieutenant. "Already done. I don't expect to run into any problems unless I'm directly interfacing with an infected android."

"Yeah, don't do that shit."

Hank's phone suddenly began to ring in his jacket pocket. He answered quickly.

"Anderson," he barked.

Over the receiver, Gavin could hear Fowler's familiar tone. He was shouting, like usual.

"Yeah, okay," nodded Hank. "We'll be right there."

Gavin started to remove the light blanket that covered him, but Hank interrupted him. "Not you and me 'we.' I meant me and Connor."

"What's going on?" inquired the android, standing up. Connor placed a hand on Gavin's chest and forced him to remain in the hospital bed, tucking him right back in.

 _Fucking androids_.

"Some sort of commotion downtown," explained the lieutenant. "Bunch of androids are just frozen in the square and it looks like they're being attacked by Superior members."

"I'm coming with you," insisted Gavin, heart pounding. If there were infected androids, that could only mean that Zlatko was nearby. And if Zlatko was near, he was sure that it would lead him to his missing RK900.

"No, you're fucking not. You're going to stay here until the doctors discharge you. That's a fucking order, Reed."

"Did you just fucking pull rank with me?"

"I guess so," shrugged Hank. He turned on his heel and started towards the door.

"I hope you feel better soon, Detective Reed," said Connor hurriedly as he followed his partner out.

Gavin sat upright in bed, fuming. He counted down backwards from ten. When he hit zero, he threw the covers off and swung his legs out over the edge of the bed. He pulled the respiratory tubes out, feeling the plastic cylinders snake up from the back of his throat and then burn as they passed through his nostrils. He coughed and then sneezed. What a terrible feeling.

He removed the heart rate monitor that had been clipped onto the tip of his finger and the ripped away the tubing that connected him to a suspended IV bag. He threw off his bed gown, standing up buck naked in the hospital room. It was a private room, so the amount of fucks that he gave were next to none. There were bruises all over his body. Half of them he didn't even remember getting.

 _They really fucked me up_.

His clothes had been folded and stacked in a neat pile on another nearby chair. They were still crusty with mud and blood. Gavin changed into them quickly. This wasn't any time to be particularly picky. As he pulled on his shoes, a nurse walked in.

"Oh, my, you really shouldn't be out of bed!" she exclaimed, rushing over.

"I have to go," he muttered. His entire body was sore. It hurt to move. It hurt to think.

"Mr. Reed, the doctors will be here any minute, you really have to-" But Gavin was already brushing past the woman, despite her protests.

He had an android to save.

Destination: downtown Detroit.


	10. Kill Order

Downtown Detroit was a flaming, turbulent mess.

Several androids in the area had seized up, unable to move due to some unknown cause, and several rowdy and aggressive Superior members had slithered out of the shadows to have a little fun. Many androids had been severely injured, traces of blue blood painting the streets. Others weren't so lucky, their circuitry sparking from malicious blows over the head. It was loud, it was messy.

It was chaos.

Police officers had already begun to arrive at the scene, dressed up in full-on tactical gear. Their presence, to be perfectly honest, was a little pitiable. Their numbers weren't nearly as strong as they were a year ago, and many had decided not to return to the city after the revolution. The DPD was just going to have to do, all hands on deck.

And that included the efforts of one, bruised-up and incredibly furious, Detective Gavin Reed.

The DPD had set up a small canopy to act as a rendezvous station just a few block south of the riots. Lieutenant Anderson and his RK800 were already there, gathering more information. When Gavin approached, Hank just shook his head with a defeated sigh.

"I thought I told you to stay at the hospital," the lieutenant frowned. He didn't seem upset, just exhausted by Gavin's very existence.

"I'm fine," lied Gavin. His ribs were sore, his knees were bruised, and his arms felt like they weighed a tonne. "Catch me up to speed."

"We've quarantined the area," explained Connor. "Androids within a five block radius seem to have been affected by Zlatko's virus, but beyond that point they seem to be largely okay."

"The virus seems highly localized, so Zlatko's probably close by somewhere," finished Hank.

"Probably using this as a test run," assumed Gavin. "You said five blocks?"

"Give or take," shrugged Hank.

"What's at the epicenter?" Gavin asked, turning to Connor. The android blinked, internally pulling up a map of the area.

"An old church," he answered. "It's been scheduled for demolition, so the building's closed off."

"You think that's where he is?" questioned the lieutenant.

"It makes sense," reasoned the android. "But even if that were true, its too dangerous to try and go to investigate."

"Leave it to me," stated Gavin as he began to turn to leave.

Hank grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping the detective in his tracks.

"Like fuck you are," he snapped.

 Gavin swatted Hank's hand away.

"If Zlatko is there, then Richard might be, too," he said quickly. "I'm going after my fucking android, Hank."

"You're in no condition to be running through a riot zone," stressed the lieutenant. "You're going to get yourself killed."

From where they stood, they could hear the sound of glass breaking, sirens screaming, the shouts and jeers of anti-android protesters. But to Gavin, it was just a muffled hum against his burning ambition. Hank gave him a stern look, serious blue eyes meeting determined brown ones.

"I'm going, with or without you," said Gavin, tone low and deadly.

Hank scratched behind his ear, shooting Connor a knowing glance.

"Fine," the lieutenant sighed. "We're coming with you. We'll get you as close as we can, but I'm not keeping Connor in there for longer than I have to."

"I'll be fine, lieutenant," insisted the android.

Hank handed Gavin a pistol and a police vest. This was going to be very, very risky.

The trio approached the edge of the quarantine, which had been marked off by yellow holographic police tape. Their weapons were drawn and ready, Gavin's trigger finger twitching to see some action. He remembered to breathe, clearing his mind. This wasn't the time to freeze and choke. He tugged at his police vest, ensuring that it was secure. Initial reports had stated that some of the Superior members were armed, and the last thing Gavin wanted was his sorry ass back in the hospital.

Or dead.

"Avoid direct conflict at all costs," instructed the lieutenant, leaning around the corner of the nearest building to get a better look. "Copy?"

"Copy," nodded Connor and Gavin.

Hank gestured with his left hand. They were on the move.

The team travelled in unison, finding cover behind a nearby vehicle. Its windows had been bashed in, but it provided excellent cover from a group of rowdy, well-equipped Superior members. They passed by, oblivious, having spotted another unfortunate android who was struggling to move as a result of the virus.

The trio kept going, ducking from vehicle to vehicle, behind flaming dumpsters and passing damaged androids. Gavin's heart was racing, but the sight of the church at the center of the madness spurred him on.

There was only a block left between Gavin and their end goal when Connor suddenly stopped. He pressed a finger to his temple, LED flashing a distressed yellow.

"Connor?" called Hank, worried. "What's wrong?"

"The virus," swallowed the android with a grimace. "I can feel it fighting my code. It's really strong. I don't think my firewall's going to last much longer."

"Fuck," hissed the lieutenant, placing a hand on the android's shoulder.

"I think I should turn back," said Connor, shaking his head as if to clear his mind.

"Will you be alright?"

"I hope so."

Hank turned to look at Gavin. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

From where Gavin was crouched down, he thought he could see movement in one of the windows of the church. He could very well have imagined it, his desperate mind playing tricks on him. But there was a feeling in his gut that Gavin couldn't just ignore. He had to go see for himself, whatever the cost.

"Get Connor out of here," he shouted at Hank as he jumped over the hood of the car.

"Reed, get the fuck back here!"

But Gavin didn't listen. He didn't want to listen. He sprinted forward, taking cover against the wall of the church.

Several injured and dead androids were splayed on the pavement, blue blood staining the bottom of Gavin's shoes. Gavin looked around at his surroundings. Several of the church's windows had been boarded up, but the building's backdoor had obviously been tampered with, the door slightly ajar.

Gavin proceeded slowly, weapon raised and safety off. Carefully opening the door, he slid inside.

The cacophony of noises from outside seemed to echo off of the church's cold, empty walls. It was disorienting, voices bouncing off surfaces and hitting him from different directions. Gavin crept in between the pews, staying as low to the floor as he could. A thin layer of dust covered every surface. Gavin fought the urge to sneeze.

At the alter of the church, he could see Zlatko, pacing back and forth in nervous thought. There was another old terminal set up on a metal cart. Ugly, serpent-like cables snaked from the terminal and slithered up the surface of the alter, connected to an old satellite at the top of the building's tower. That was probably how Zlatko was transmitting the virus to androids in the area.

"Needs more juice," he overheard Zlatko mutter to himself.

Gavin stood up, weapon trained on the man. Zlatko was all alone. This was his chance.

"Hands up, Zlatko," he barked. "You're under arrest."

Zlatko looked stunned for a moment, and then immediately perturbed.

"Ah, detective," he said through his teeth. "I thought you were dead."

"Bitch, you thought," sneered Gavin. "Put your hands up. I won't tell you again."

But Zlatko simply grinned, a shitty over-confident grin. "Nine! Kill the detective," he ordered.

It was then and only then that Gavin realized the RK900 had him cut off from behind. The android had made next to no noise, and the ruckus outside had masked its approach. Gavin turned, gun raised. But it was too late. The RK900 moved with impressive speed, grabbing Gavin's hand and squeezing his bruised fingers against the cold, hard metal of his own weapon.

Gavin's grip loosened on the gun out of an instinctive reaction to the pain. The RK900 took the opportunity to twist Gavin's arm behind his back, viciously ripping the pistol out of his hand. With a well-placed kick to the back of the detective's knees, Gavin collapsed and landed, hearing the loud crack of his kneecaps against the church floor.

"Fuck!" spat Gavin. He heard the RK900 cock the hammer of the gun, the click dangerously close to Gavin's ear.

Gavin looked up at the android, eyes wide in fear. This wasn't right. He had never realized just how precise, how dangerous the RK900 model had been until now. This wasn't just another android detective loaned to the DPD by CyberLife. This was a killing machine hiding behind a handsome face.

No, this wasn't right at all. The android was capable of being so much more.

"Richard," he said softly, hands raised in defeat. The RK900 had the gun aimed at the side of his head. It was cold, unflinching. "Please, don't do this."

"Hurry and shoot him, Nine!" snapped Zlatko, his voice bouncing off of the walls.

Gavin fully expected the android to pull the trigger, to follow its orders. To obey. But it didn't. Gavin glanced to the side and locked eyes with the RK900. It's expression was blank, but it's LED was a steady yellow. It was thinking.

Struggling.

"I know you're in there somewhere," said Gavin. "You could have killed me back when we were taken hostage. But you didn't."

The LED blinked red, and then back to a steady yellow as the android computed what the detective was saying. It was true. It could very easily have snapped Gavin's neck, or bashed his head against the floor, or ripped his heart out of his chest. But it hadn't, and it couldn't figure out why. It had just been so...

Illogical.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," hissed Zlatko. "Nine, put the gun in your mouth and shoot yourself."

This order seemed to click with the android. The android moved the gun away from the side of Gavin's head and started to bring the barrel towards its lips.

"No!" shouted Gavin as he reached for the android's arm, trying to drag the gun away.

Gavin's heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.

The sound of a single shot rang out.


	11. Sike, Bitch

Smoke wafted gently from the barrel of the gun, dissipating into the air.

Gavin's ears were ringing.

He had managed to pull the android's arm away just in time and at just the right angle. Holy fucking shit was he lucky. The bullet had grazed by the android's face, burn mark evident on its left cheek.

Gavin ripped the pistol away, turned and pulled the trigger four times. Each bullet landed, embedding themselves into Zlatko's computer terminal. The device sparked, screen cracked and processor fried.

"I told you to fucking put your hands up, you fat piece of shit!" shouted Gavin, the ferocious roar escaping his lips.

Startled by the gunshots, Zlatko hurriedly obliged. Gavin kept one eye on the android. It hadn't moved since pulling the trigger.

The poor thing looked lost.

Through the back door, several DPD officers burst through, Lieutenant Anderson leading the charge.

"Reed!" he snapped. "What the fuck happened?"

"'Bout time you fucking showed up."

Gavin kept his gun pointed aimed at Zlatko as Hank hurried over to cuff the man's wrists together.

"Zlatko Andronikov, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," stated Hank as he led the man away.

As Zlatko was led away, he gave Gavin a smirk before exiting the building. It was an expression of a man who still had a trick up his sleeve.

The detective's heart did a flip. Why did he still have this terrible, terrible feeling in his gut?

* * *

 "Let me interrogate him," said Gavin. They were standing behind the one-way mirror that looked in on Interrogation Room A. Zlatko had his eyes closed, quietly and eerily meditating. It disturbed Gavin to see the man sitting so still, so calm.

"No," answered Fowler firmly. "You're way too close to this. Lieutenant Anderson and Connor will handle it."

Gavin was furious. He could feel the stress in the back of his neck, pain radiating and causing there to be pressure in the back of his eyes. Holy fucking shit did he just want to lie down. His body was exhausted, even if he didn't want to admit it. Maybe Hank was right. He should have stayed in the hospital.

Captain Fowler's answer wasn't satisfactory. Gavin crossed his arms against his chest, letting out a frustrated huff. He turned, looking out the opposite one-way mirror into Interrogation Room B. They had managed to usher the RK900 into the room with very little pressure. The android was just sitting there, LED a steady yellow and a frown painted on its face. It looked out of place, confused.

Gavin could feel a pang in his chest.

"Where the fuck is he?" he huffed, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor.

In Interrogation Room A, Hank and Connor entered. Gavin kept his back turned, but listened intently. He didn't much feel like looking at Zlatko's ugly mug. He kept his eyes on the RK900, watching for any further signs of distress. He would hate to see the android think itself into self-destruction.

"Twenty-eight androids dead," he heard Connor shout. "Hundreds more injured. What do you have to say for yourself? What's your end game?"

There was a knock on the observation room's door. An officer peaked her head in, addressing the captain.

"Sir, Mr. Kamski is here," she said.

"Fucking finally," snapped Gavin.

The door opened wide, allowing for Kamski to walk on in. There was a stern expression on his face. A Chloe android followed him closely, carrying a large metal briefcase.

"You know, I really don't appreciate being summoned like this," the man said.

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Kamski," said Fowler, walking over to shake the man's hand. "But Gavin insisted. He thought you might be able to help us."

Kamski locked eyes with his little brother, "Ah, did he now?"

Gavin could feel his cheeks burn. He wanted to shout something obscene, but he knew better.

"Yes," he said bitterly. "I... I need your help."

Kamski eyed his brother up and down, confused at his sudden meekness. He rather enjoyed it, actually. Kamski looked at the RK900 sitting in the room and frowned.

"You never could take care of you toys," he sighed.

"He's not a toy," snapped the detective.

Kamski clicked his tongue, "Oh, my. Sorry. Didn't mean to hit a nerve."

Gavin shook his head. He knew that was a lie.

"Don't get your panties in a twist," continued Kamski. "I'll see what I can do." 

* * *

Gavin didn't like it then, and he certainly didn't like it now. Kamski was just too close to the android. The detective wasn't sure if his brother was doing this on purpose, or if he really was as much of a freak as he remembered.

The Chloe was assisting Kamski with the RK900's preliminary diagnostics test. The briefcase housed a small computing system, which Kamski had connected to the RK900 by using a familiar looking three-pronged connection port. The RK900 had remained uncharacteristically still throughout the entire process. 

Kamski pulled a detachable tablet from the briefcase, examining the initial readings. He hummed, brow knitted into a frown. "He really did a number on you," Kamski whistled, deep in thought.

Not a good sign.

In the other interrogation room, Hank and Connor were making progress, albeit slowly. Gavin's attention bounced from room to room. He felt like his head was going to explode from information overload. Zlatko was singing like a proud little bird, unafraid.

"Why red ice?" inquired Hank. "Superior's never been involved with drug trafficking before."

"Never say never," grinned Zlatko. "You'll only miss opportunities."

"Jonathan Graham," mentioned Connor, picking up the beat of the conversation. "Why did he kill himself?"

"Have you ever been high on red ice?" asked Zlatko. He fed his fingers together, placing his hands on the table before him, leaning in. "No, of course you haven't. Androids can't get high. It's quite the rush, but it's the withdrawal that kills. The batches I make are particularly addictive. Maybe the thought of being locked away without a steady supply was enough to make him want to end it."

Hank frowned. This was incredibly disturbing news.

Back in Interrogation Room B, Kamski had completed his examination of the android. The Chloe knocked on the glass, grabbing Gavin's attention.

"Mr. Kamski would like to speak with you, Detective Reed," she said sweetly. Gavin looked over at Fowler, who simply nodded as a way of dismissing him from the room.

Outside, Kamski was leaning against the wall, stretching his arms above his head.

"You know," he began, "I could just get you another one."

"What?" frowned Gavin.

"I could always just order you another model."

"I'm not Hank," spat Gavin. "I don't want a replacement each time he breaks."

Kamski shrugged, "It'd be easier. I'm just saying. His neural processor took a real beating because of that virus."

The idea was preposterous. He didn't want another android. He didn't want a look-alike. He didn't want someone new.

He wanted this one.

He wanted Richard.

"Did you fucking fix him or not?" growled the detective. The falter in his voice gave away his desperation.

"It wasn't easy," admitted the man. "Had to isolate his personality data from the virus. It had a real latch on it, but I think I made it work." Kamski tossed his head to the right, showing Gavin the way forward with raised eyebrows and a smug smile. Gavin didn't waste any time. He brushed past Kamski and walked through the doors of Interrogation Room B.

The android in the room had been disconnected from Kamski's contraption. It was standing up now, gazing at its reflection with curious eyes in the one-way mirror. It looked up with its cool, grey eyes, watching Gavin intently as he entered.

The detective approached slowly, unsure what to say or do. He was nervous, stomach doing flips and heart fluttering. They stood a foot away from one another. Gavin realized he had been holding his breath.

"Hey, tin can," he said shakily.

The android reached out slowly with its hand, grazing one of the purple bruises on Gavin's right cheekbone with its finger tips.

"Hello, meat sack," said Richard with a gentle, knowing smile.

A rush of relief flooded over Gavin, an exhausted but happy sigh escaping his lips. He would have cried had his brother not been leaning against the doorway, watching. Even thought it hurt him to do it, Gavin lurched forward, hugging Richard as tightly as he could. And much to his delight, he felt Richard wrap his arms around him, holding him back.

"Get a room," snorted Kamski.

Gavin flipped his brother off. Fuck, he really couldn't believe how happy he was.

"I'm glad that you're back and all," Hank piped up, clearing his throat. The lieutenant had arrived at the doorway. "But we're done with Zlatko. And we have a problem."


	12. Off to the Races

"I'm sorry. They're going to fucking _what_?"

"They're going to infiltrate CyberLife headquarters and broadcast the virus through their signal tower. They plan on the virus being able to ping off of nearby towers and..." Connor's voice trailed off, his expression grim. The android was fidgeting with a coin, visibly nervous.

"The virus'll spread worldwide. No android is safe," finished Hank with a frown.

Gavin exhaled. This was all just way too much. It had started out as just another red ice case, and now they had suddenly been tasked with saving all of android kind. He pinched the bridge of his nose, the pressure behind his eyes getting to be just a little too much.

"What the actual fuck, man."

Kamski had taken a seat in a chair, casually glancing at non-existent dirt under his nails. Gavin shot him a glance expectantly.

"What?" asked Kamski, shrugging a shoulder.

"Can't you do something about it?" questioned Gavin. "Can't you program some sort of anti-virus or something?"

"I  _could_ ," nodded Kamski. "But it may take me a couple of hours."

"We may not have a couple of hours," stated Connor. "Zlatko told us his people are already on their way."

It was only then that Gavin noticed Hank's bloodied knuckles. The lieutenant quickly shoved his hands in his pockets. They had gotten Zlatko to "talk", had they?

"Whatever you did for Richard, can't you just reproduce that?" asked Gavin hurriedly. Holy shit did his head hurt. Why did his head hurt so much?

"It's not that simple," Kamski explained, shaking his head. "What I did for the android was highly specific to his model. It won't work as a blanket solution."

"Then  _find_ a blanket solution," jabbed the detective.

"We should really be walking and talking then," insisted Kamski as he stood up. His Chloe closed up the repair briefcase and followed the man out the door. The remaining bodies in the room followed, a quiet, burning tension in the air.

The DPD parking lot was mostly empty, many of the police cruisers have been check out of the lot in order to deal with the riots that were now coming to an end downtown. Gavin's vehicle was nowhere to be seen, and it only occurred to him then and there that he had technically left it at their stakeout location. Hank counted heads.

"There's probably not going to be enough space for everyone," he informed.

"Chloe," spoke Kamski in the blonde's general direction. He reached for the briefcase, which the android handed over to him. "Why don't you head on home?"

"Yes, Mr. Kamski," nodded Chloe. She turned on her heels and walked back towards the police station.

"Didn't you drive here?" asked Gavin. "Can't we take your car, too?"

"That is a vintage 2000 Porsche Cayenne. It's worth way too much to be taking to a potentially world-ending crime scene."

"Oh my God, shut the fuck up and get in the car," snapped Hank, who was already in the driver's seat with the engine running. 

* * *

CyberLife HQ's front entrance had been completely trashed. The front-facing windows had been shattered, accenting shrubbery lit on fire, and anti-android slogans spray painted in massive, neon-orange on several doors and statues. Hank parked a few yards away, thinking it unwise to approach head-on.

Kamski had had the tablet on his lap, studying with great fervor the information that he had collected while returning Richard to his regular state. Gavin had seen his half-brother working before, and it was almost a relief to see that nothing had changed. Kamski got deathly quiet, concentration to the max with eyes that had razor-sharp focus.

He would mutter to himself every now and then, thinking allowed, but it wasn't anything that Gavin thought was comprehensible. It brought back memories of warm summer days with Kamski holing himself up in the spare garage, tinkering away at his latest contraption and Gavin absolutely detesting that his brother wasn't available to play.

"I think I've got it," announced Kamski a few minutes after Hank cut the engine.

"You  _think_?" stressed the detective.

"It's hard to know if something will work without a test run."

"It's going to have to do," sighed Connor.

"I'm sending you copies of the anti-virus now," said Kamski. With a few flicks of the finger and the press of a few buttons, the tablet made a "woosh" sound. Both Connor and Richard's LEDs blinked yellow as they received the new information.

"What do we have to do?" asked Richard.

"They've probably already begun uploading the virus. If that's the case, we'll need to override it by uploading our own code directly into the broadcast tower's utility processor."

Gavin frowned, "How is that going to work?"

"I've given the anti-virus to both of the androids. If one of you can get to CyberLife's primary control center inside and upload the code, then there really shouldn't be a problem. But by the looks of it, you may be expecting a little company. If the other android climbs to the roof and then up the broadcast tower, you'll find a utility processor intended for maintenance. Upload the anti-virus from there, and it should neutralize Superior's efforts."

Hank shot Gavin a look from the reflection of his rear-view mirror.

"Do you want to take the direct route or go for a climb?" the lieutenant asked him, giving Gavin the time to contemplate his options.

Finding the primary control center would save a lot of time, but the idea of having to deal with several very angry, very vindictive Superior members did not sound like fun. On the other hand, going for a climb up the beacon tower would take up a lot of precious seconds, but there would be a great deal less conflict to slow them down. Neither option sounded great, but he had to choose.

"Richard and I will take the tower," the detective grumbled. Gavin looked at Connor and tapped his own temple, "Make sure to use that android walkie-talkie thing if you need help." Connor and Richard nodded.

"Go team!" cheered Kamski, who had crossed his legs and made himself comfortable in the backseat.

* * *

The main entrance of CyberLife HQ had been absolutely trashed. There was a small group of five or six Superior members loitering around, wooden bats and metal crowbars in hand, smashing anything that was within range. Gavin and Richard jumped into action, charging the group.

The android expertly shoved his palm with violent pressure into one of the men's throats, causing airway trauma. The man clutched at his throat, gasping. He keeled over within a matter of seconds. It was Gavin's turn, swooping in and using one of the attacker's own momentum against him. Gavin snatched the man's bat-wielding arm and pulled, watching as the assailant smacked his head against his own weapon. He was the next unfortunate soul to be out like a light on the floor.

The detective and his android moved in perfect unison, reading each other's precise strikes and motions. With one last powerful blow to the side of the head with the butt of Gavin's gun, it was all over.

Hank wanted to whistle, thoroughly impressed. "Cool," he said with a nod.

"Let's keep moving," said Richard.

The two teams split up, going their separate ways to meet their respective targets. Gavin and Richard found there way to an access elevator and hopped on, Richard quickly tapping the button to the roof. It was a hell of a lot faster than taking the stairs.

The soft elevator music was a little unnerving, coupled with the gentle hum of the elevator motors pulling them higher. Gavin took the opportunity to check his pistol over, counting the bullets he had remaining. Richard stood perfectly still, hands held behind his back, posture straight.

The silence between them was deafening.

Gavin caught a glimpse of Richard in his peripheral. The android was looking at him, a faint smile on his lips.

"Fucking what?" snapped the detective. His ears felt very, very warm.

"I was just thinking."

"About?"

"What happens after all of this."

Gavin turned his head to regard the android. "What do you mean?"

"CyberLife loaned me to the DPD to help with your red ice case. Once this is all over, I wonder if they'll have me return."

Gavin swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. This conversation was making him incredibly uneasy.

"Is that what  _you_ want?" he asked Richard, sheepishly looking back down at his pistol. Examining the gun gave him something to do, something to focus on.

Richard smiled. "I'd very much like to stay. But I know it's not really up to me."

No, Gavin didn't like this conversation at all. The detective cleared his throat. They had arrived at their destination.

"Let's fucking survive this first before we worry about what happens next, okay?"

"Okay."

It had started to rain, the surface of the rooftop becoming slick and hazardous. The signal beacon was just up ahead. The end goal was in sight. Gavin and Richard raced forward. It didn't look as though there were any Superior members that they had to worry about. From where he stood, he could see the small utility processor housed in a rectangular box hosted on the beacon.

Just as Richard started to climb the metal ladder, the access door to the emergency stair well burst open. A massive of group of approximately ten men rushed forward, intent on beating the intruders to a pulp.

"Hurry and climb!" shouted Gavin, pistol raised and safety off. They had been surrounded, Gavin's back towards the tower. His mind was racing. He could only concentrate on one thing. He had to protect Richard.

He had to protect him at all costs.

Richard climbed as quickly as he could. The wind had begun to pick up, making the ascent ever more dangerous.

_Status: Establishing Connection..._

_Status: Connected!_

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: How's your status? The virus is 42% uploaded._

_> > RK900 #313248317-87: I'm climbing the beacon now._

_> > RK800 #313248317-51: Hurry! The lieutenant and I are pinned down. I can't make it to the control panel in time._

By the time Richard made it to the utility processor, the wind and rain were whipping him in the face in earnest. It was all very disorienting, that and the fact that he was an uncomfortably high distance off of the ground. He opened the utility processor's front panel to reveal several colored wires, a keypad and a surface scanner. Without wasting another second, Richard placed his hand on the scanner, active skin peeling back to expose his white frame.

_Initiating anti-virus upload. Progress: 2%._

_Virus upload completion: 45%._

Even way up above, Richard kept a watchful eye on Gavin. The detective was holding his own surprisingly well. Several of his attackers had been incapacitated, but Gavin's exhaustion was becoming evident.

"C'mon you fuckers!" shouted the detective as he blocked another blow.

_Anti-virus upload: 22%._

_Virus upload completion: 47%._

Richard closed his eyes, trying to focus. He had to be faster. He had to be better. All of android-kind was counting on him. He fought his way through the code, pushing against the cold digits that ran his programming.

_Anti-virus upload: 49%._

Faster.

_Virus upload completion: 50%._

Stronger.

_Anti-virus upload: 67%._

More resilient.

_Virus upload completion: 52%._


	13. Make My Heart Race

_Anti-virus upload complete._

_Virus upload cancelled: progress stalled at 92%._

A great wave of relief rushed over Richard, the utility processor giving off a satisfying "ding" alert. This was it. It was over. It was all said and done. The android carefully climbed down from the signal beacon. His human still needed help.

When Richard placed a foot on the solid roof's surface, he could only manage to blink. Gavin was standing there, hunched over and breathing hard. The party of Superior members were out cold, littering the rooftop with their unconscious bodies. Gavin's nose was bleeding, but he did nothing in the way of trying to stop the flow. He just led the blood drip, drip, drip onto his shirt, onto the ground.

Gavin and Richard locked eyes. An expression close to impressed crept onto the android's face. Richard tilted his head to the side, taking in the absolute mess that was his detective. Gavin used the back of his jacket sleeve to wipe at his nose.

"Well?" asked Gavin. "Is it over? Did you do it?"

"Yes," nodded Richard.  "It's over."

A beat passed between them.

Gavin stood up straight, stretching his back. Holy shit was he sore all over. He didn't exactly know what to say. The rain was really coming down, chilling him right down to the bone. He was happy that everything had wrapped up nicely in a neat little bow, but his heart was still uneasy.

"Reed!" exclaimed Hank from the stairwell door. He had swung the door open with one hand, the other helping Connor stand upright. The RK800 was limping, some minor damage had been done to its leg. Nothing a good leg replacement wouldn't fix. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," muttered Gavin. Why was he lying to himself? No, he wasn't fine. The case was over, which meant that Richard would be leaving.

His heart couldn't take it.

"We should return to the station, Detective Reed," suggested Richard. "I'm sure the captain will be wanting our reports promptly."

"Right," said Gavin, doing his best to hide his disappointment.

It wasn't very convincing.

* * *

Fowler was more than delighted upon hearing the news. Now his upper-ups could finally stop breathing down his neck about seeing results. The captain had called the lieutenant and the detective into his office, gesticulating grandly as he spoke.

Richard was leaning against Gavin's desk, watching intently from the other side of the glass walls.

"Connor," he said softly. The RK800 looked up from his seat. Hank had insisted he remain seated until his replacement limb arrived.

_Rush order. Don't argue with me, I really don't mind the costs. We just need to get you a new damn leg._

"Yes?"

"Does Detective Reed look a little upset to you?"

"Detective Reed always looks upset to me."

Richard shook his head, "I get the feeling that he's uncomfortable around me. Again."

Connor looked over at the other android, curious. "What makes you say that?"

"When my memories were restored, it was like I was looking at an entirely different person," explained the RK900. "Every time he's in the same room with me, his heart rate increases. His pupils dilate. His core temperature rises. He's a lot more tense now whenever he's around me and I can't quite figure it out."

Connor smiled a knowing smile. He looked down at his leg. It had been made crooked in two places by the powerful blows of a tire iron. Connor looked back up to watch the discussion that Fowler was having with his lieutenant.

"Humans are really fickle creatures," started Connor. "The lieutenant was the same way with me at first."

"What changed?"

Connor merely shrugged, "I guess you could say that we came to a mutual understanding."

"Do you have any suggestions for me? I would hate for our relationship to remain in such a turbulent state."

The door to Fowler's office swung open. Their conversation had ended. Hank and Gavin proceeded to walk down the steps, making their way back to their desks to get what could only be an impossible amount of paperwork filled out.

"Take charge," suggested Connor quickly. "I've concluded that Detective Reed is too emotionally stunted to act on his own."

"Are you suggesting that-"

"The fuck you two girls talking about?" interrupted Gavin. He slumped down in his seat, facing his terminal. He didn't dare look at Richard. He couldn't.

"We were just reviewing some of the details of the case," lied Richard.

"To see if there were any areas that our programming may need to be adjusted to better assist in future investigations," added Connor.

But Gavin wasn't really listening. He seemed preoccupied.

Hank slapped a hand on Connor's shoulder, obviously pleased that the work day was over.

"C'mon," he said as he began to wheel Connor away. "I need a drink."

"But lieutenant, my leg-"

"We'll have it forwarded to Jimmy's. I tip the guy well enough, so he shouldn't mind. Reed, want to come?"

Gavin shook his head, picking up a stack of files from off of his desk and standing up.

"Nah, I'm good," he said. "Just going to spend the night filing the evidence and getting it out of the way."

Hank shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Connor continued to protest, arguing that Fowler probably wouldn't take too kindly about DPD furniture being taken off premises. But Hank just kept on rolling, and before long, they were out of earshot. It was just Gavin and Richard left in the bull pen.

And it was all too quiet.

Gavin started towards the evidence room, Richard following closely in tow, carrying the rest of the files from his desk. They descended down the winding stairs together to the evidence room, the temperature noticeably cooler in the basement floor. Perfect for preserving evidence.

The detective flicked his badge over the reader next to the security door, and Richard watched as the access light blinked from red to green. Gavin pushed the door open and dropped the stack of files on a nearby table before turning to the main interactive screen, allowing it to scan his finger prints and then typing in his password.

"You're very quiet," stated Richard. His tone was careful, testing the waters.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fuckin' tired," shrugged Gavin. Evidence filing was mind-numbing work, but it had to be done.

"Perhaps I could get you a coffee," offered the android. "Or we could just call it a day."

"Nah, it's all good," he said, shaking his head. His voice sounded tired, weak.

Richard studied Gavin with his cool, grey eyes.

 _Take charge_.

Richard reached out slowly, placing his fingertips gently on the back of Gavin's neck. He could see the chill that the action sent through Gavin's body. Richard half expected Gavin to push him away, to recoil. But to his delighted surprise, Gavin simply turned his head to look at him, eyes questioning and cautious. His breath audibly hitched at the sensation.

" _Gavin_ ," said Richard slowly, softly. His eyes locked with the detective's, unwavering. "Tell me what's wrong."

Gavin's face felt incredibly warm. He wanted to fucking punch Kamski for making android's so fucking beautiful. Who's fucking idea was it to make an android with such mesmerizing eyes?

"I..." hesitated Gavin. His heart pounding. Holy shit was it racing. He had no doubt in his mind that Richard could already tell, too. "I've been thinking about what you said."

"Concerning what?"

"About whether or not you'll have to go back to CyberLife once we're done."

"And?"

 Gavin swallowed. Maybe he really should have joined Anderson for that drink at Jimmy's. Richard's fingers slid forward, grazing Gavin's strong jawline. The detective found himself leaning in to the android's gentle touch.

"I want you stay," Gavin finally managed, blurting it out rapidly. "If I had a say, I would prefer it if you stayed."

"With you?"

"Fuck, yes, with me," frowned Gavin, exasperated.

Richard leaned in, snaking his other arm around Gavin's waist. The android pressed his weight against him, pinning him against the edge of the interactive interface. He brought their faces close together, mere millimeters from contact. Richard could feel Gavin's warm, shaky breath against his own.

Temperature increase, check.

Pupils dilated, check.

Heart rate up, check.

Richard smiled. He would never say it out loud, but flustered was a very good look on Gavin.

"Then I'll see to it that I stay."

Gavin's heart skipped a beat.

"A-are you sure?" Gavin breathed.

"You're giving me whiplash, detective."

"It's just... Fuck. Don't do it for me. Do it because you actually want to stay."

Richard rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips lifting upwards into a smug grin. He closed the short distance between them, placing his lips delicately onto Gavin's. It was such a gentle kiss that Gavin wasn't entirely sure if it had even happened. It had been incredibly soft and sweet, nothing at all like Gavin had imagined kissing an android would be.

The android pulled away slightly looking down at Gavin in reassurance. He moved his fingers away from Gavin's jaw and moved it towards Gavin's left hand. Finger tips traced finger tips, intimately getting to know each other's shape. Gavin watched as the android's active skin faded away, revealing itself to him. Their fingers knitted together, a perfect fit.

"It would be an honor and a privilege to do anything for you," said Richard calmly.

"You don't have to be so fucking sappy, tin can," mumbled Gavin, glancing away in utter embarrassment.

The android just smiled as he pressed their lips back together, this time with more pressure. Gavin's heart was so happy that it could have burst and he would have been perfectly fine with that.  When they finally broke away, primarily to allow Gavin enough time to breathe, Gavin posed a question.

"You wanna get out of here?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'm pretty sure Fowler's still good for putting me up in a hotel since I still technically don't have a place."

Richard raised his eyebrows, eyes amused, "Oh?"

Using his free hand, Gavin grabbed on to Richard's shirt collar, fistful of fabric in his tight grip as he pulled him closer. Their lips crashed together, the warmth absolutely glorious. Gavin didn't want there to be any space left between them.

_~~I don't need anyone to love.~~ _


	14. Who's Loving You? [NSFW]

It was as if time was standing still, but their hurried hearts had no time at all.

They had just barely made it inside the room before hungry lips crashed against ones that were even hungrier. Richard pinned Gavin against the back of the hotel door with the weight of his frame, feeling the man's heated arousal against his thigh. The android had a firm grip on both of Gavin's wrists, keeping his desperate hands on either side of his head. The restraint only seemed to spur the detective on, each kiss accompanied with a soft, dizzying moan.

Richard quickly discovered that he enjoyed teasing Gavin, pulling his lips away at the last second just to watch the detective try to follow, craving the warmth of their lips together. He alternated between deep, passionate kisses and the gentlest, softest passing of their lips together. Each time, Richard relished in the tiny hitches in Gavin's already uneven breaths. The android couldn't help but hum in satisfaction.

Gavin leveraged himself against the door, ripping his hands away from Richard's grip. He ran his fingers through the android's hair, tousling it into a lazy mess. Richard wrapped his arms around Gavin's waist, holding him close as their tongues slid over one another's. The detective took a careful step forward, guiding them to the nearest of two queen-sized beds.

They were only going to need the one.

When Richard felt the edge of the bed against the back of his knee, he instinctively sat down as Gavin continued to push. Their lips remained locked, Gavin drinking in the taste. He hadn't been entirely sure what to expect. Were androids supposed to taste like plastic? Or metal? Because this one didn't. Richard actually tasted rather sweet. Gavin wasn't sure how that was possible, but he also wasn't really complaining.

Gavin's eager hands had a mind of their own, automatically moving to help Richard shrug off his jacket. Richard obliged, proceeding to help Gavin with his own. Their jackets fell to the floor, forgotten.

Richard slipped his hands underneath Gavin's black t-shirt, admiring the feeling of tight muscles. The android lifted the shirt, exposing his stomach. Richard leaned in, planting soft kisses against Gavin's skin as the man helped to take the shirt off altogether in a hurry.

Richard studied Gavin's body, utterly fascinated by the tattoos that decorated his skin. The head of a cobra was inked onto his chest, the remainder of its body slithering around Gavin's right shoulder and down his arm to combine with an incredibly intricate and detailed black and white sleeve that Richard had never before laid his eyes on. Richard made a mental note to ask Gavin about it later.

The detective climbed the bed, straddling Richard with his knees on either side. Chest to chest, Gavin breathed, mind rushing as he sat in the android's lap.

"Are you alright?" asked Richard softly, fingers tracing an old scar on Gavin's abdomen. It only took him a second to pull up the DPD report from nearly three years ago. Stab wound, altercation with a suspect at the scene of a homicide. 

"Yeah," nodded Gavin. "I'm fine." But he didn't sound very convinced. Just hot and bothered.

"Is this your first time with an android?"

"Jesus, fuck, you don't have to say it like that," muttered the detective, brow furrowed.

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" smiled Richard, coy. He stroked Gavin's cheeks, holding their gaze. Yes, flustered was a very good look on the detective. "Just relax," he continued. "I'll take care of you."

Before Gavin could make a comment to mask his embarrassment, Richard grabbed Gavin by the hips and flipped him onto the mattress. He was in control, and a part of Gavin honestly didn't mind.

Richard helped Gavin wrestle out of his jeans, his cock obviously swollen and craving to be touched beneath his black boxers. Richard gently and slowly removed the boxers, banishing the article of clothing to the floor as well. And before Gavin could even get a word in, he felt the android's wet mouth wrap around his length.

Gavin could have passed out then and there because _holy fucking shit_ did this feel good.

Richard's mouth felt fucking incredible. Gavin didn't want to ask, but a part of him desperately needed to know how and why the android knew how to do this. It almost made him smile to think about. Had the android downloaded a program called blowjob.exe? No, that would be too ridiculous. Or was it?

The android had fallen into a steady pace, drawing out low, lewd moans from Gavin's lips.

Gavin could feel his arousal coiling, become hotter and tighter in the pit of his stomach. He placed a hand on the back of Richard's head, fingers lacing into his hair. Gavin gave a gentle tug, nothing that would hurt, to get Richard's attention.

The android looked up, mesmerizing grey eyes greeting his own.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Fuck, no. Nothing's wrong. You're going to make me cum if you keep going."

"That was the plan."

Gavin frowned. He didn't quite know how to find the right words.

"Your clothes," he managed to say. "Take them off."

Richard smirked, getting up from off his knees. He moved slowly, purposely forcing Gavin to wait. He could read the impatience begin to fester in Gavin's expression. The android took off his black sweater, exposing a perfectly sculpted torso, shoulders, neck.

Gavin could feel his heart pounding in his chest, full of need. When Richard finally removed his pants, it was all Gavin could do but swallow at the dryness in his throat.

 _Oh. Oh my_.

"You're fucking beautiful," he found himself saying. And Richard really, really was. It was like looking at a work of art, a perfectly chiseled marble statue. Richard smiled as he re-approached, lifting one of Gavin's legs to give him better access. He pressed his chest back against Gavin's, perfectly aware of his increased heart rate.

They kissed again, hot and heavy. Richard would pull back every now and then to give Gavin enough time to breathe. He was in control.

Always in control.

"Are you okay like this?" asked the android, whispering into his partner's ear.

"Yeah," nodded Gavin, eyes closed in concentration. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Tell me what you want," ordered Richard, nibbling at Gavin's exposed neck. There was something about the way Richard spoke that was enough to drive Gavin crazy.

"I want..." he gasped. He squirmed under Richard's weight, rutting his groin against the android's skin for some sort of friction, some sort of contact. "I want you to fuck me. Fuck, just-"

"I want you to beg for it," stated Richard. Why did his tone turn Gavin on so much?

" _Please_ ," Gavin heard himself whimper. He really, really liked this. " _Please_ , fuck me."

And that was all the permission that Richard required. He aligned himself with Gavin, cradling the detective's head in his arms as he slowly entered. Gavin closed his eyes, gasping profanities as Richard took him, confident thrusts driving him closer and closer to the edge. Richard bit at Gavin's neck, sucking hard to leave red marks on the detective's skin.

" _Fuck_ ," hissed Gavin, breathing hard. But Richard's pace remained consistent, intent on helping Gavin reach climax.

It had been so long since someone had held Gavin like this, bothered to show affection like this. Gavin grasped onto Richard's face, kissing his android with passion he had long since forgotten he was capable of offering. With a few more powerful thrusts, Gavin came undone, moaning into Richard's mouth.

His hips bucked uncontrollably as the wave of pleasure radiated out, his excitement painting his stomach and chest. Richard's movements slowed, LED blinking yellow in concentration, a sweet smile on his lips. Gavin exhaled, thoroughly satisfied. He grinned at the android, body suddenly exhausted.

Richard pulled out slowly and then lay back down, placing his head on Gavin's chest. Gavin stroked Richard's hair, breathing returning to normal, heart content.

"Well, that didn't last very long, did it?" chuckled Richard.

"Shut the fuck up, you tool," retorted Gavin, but there was nothing malicious in his words.

"Bitch," returned Richard with a grin.

"I wish all cases could end like this."

"With sex?"

"No, with gross feelings in seedy hotels. Of course I mean sex."

Richard looked up, eyes hooded and dreamy. Gavin couldn't remember. Had this android always been so handsome?

"I'm sure I can arrange for that," said Richard, kissing the detective's chest.

And Gavin's heart was so, so happy.


End file.
